Musoke's hands are the gift that keeps on giving

Douglas Musoke isn't a household name in Uganda rugby by any measure. As a player for Toyota Buffaloes, he is only finding his way around the second and back rows, although he believes he is well suited for midfield. But that's for another day. 

Musoke found rugby just towards the end of 2021 Covid-19 lockdowns. As a means of maintaining fitness, he bumped into some rugby players around Kireka. Most were just doing their individual runs and he joined.

They say rugby is like a drug; very addictive and Musoke became one more statistic to succumb to that rugby bug. A handball player for Ndejje University back then, he found himself getting married to the leather egg and the rest is history.

But that's not the gist of this piece. Musoke's other talent, the art of sculpting, has shot him through the roof within the rugby fraternity more than his playing side. 

Gifted hands

Gone are the days of teams getting awarded with the usual "cups" after winning tournaments. Lately, a new phenomenon is taking route: themed trophies, medals and the like. 

This is where Musoke comes in. His work with different clubs, especially on the 7s trophies and medals, has cast him into the limelight of creatives. 

If you have been a keen follower of the national 7s circuit, you must have realized a shift from the old traditional winners' trophies to more custom made ones in the last two seasons. That is Musoke at work.

See the gap, hit it 

When Musoke joined Buffaloes, his teammates and coaches got to know that he was a creative craftsman, sculptor and artist. 

He deeply credits Edgar Lemerigar, the Buffaloes coach for opening his way. 

"Buffaloes were going to host their leg off the 7s circuit and he (Lemerigar) told me to come up with something catchy; something to bring out our strength as Buffaloes and Kyadondo," recalls Musoke.

He would draft sketches and share with the organizers until they were impressed. He, alongside his team of four, went to work and they delivered a solid buffalo bull.

The organizers of the Mafro Invitational 7s come calling, and Lemerigar passed the opportunity on to Musoke, who delivered to perfection. His stake started rising and along the way, he has become the go-to man for rugby trophies.

The real big deals

This year's 7s came thick and fast for Musoke. Each host club wanted a custom made themed trophy to represent who they are and what they stand for. Orders flew in from all places. Gulu. Kyadondo. Jinja. Mbarara. Name it.

However, like the Kyadondo folks love to say, "Kyadondo is home", and it's no wonder that their home circuit, hosted by Thunderbirds, came with the trophy that left many waxing lyrical of Musoke's gifted hands. 

Pirates and Avengers won the men and women's categories, respectively. The trophies, made in the shape of a giant eagle with a rugby ball tucked beneath her claws, were a great piece of art.

Winnie Atyang is a Thunderbirds legend. She dedicated all her playing life to the club and has her twin daughters playing for the club. As one of the chief organizers of the tournament, her team's 3rd place finish was a painful one.

"She (Atyang) called me and thanked me for the wonderful work on the trophy. But she was short of tears because it hadn't been won by her beloved Thunderbirds. She told me she was feeling bad and went hard on her players for letting such a beautiful person leave Kyadondo," reveals Musoke. 

As for the men, Stanbic Black Pirates won the trophy and sprayed it all over the place. They are the vibes team and beating home side Heathens was the icing on the cake. 

"Those two trophies are the most difficult I've made so far. The amount of time spent in both planning and execution was really taxing. We had to pull it off to everyone's expectations and thankfully, my team and I didn't disappoint," remarks Musoke. 

The wheel was now rolling in overdrive and Musoke and his team had to keep their hands on deck. 

They sculpted for Gulu 7s, Kyabazinga 7s and the ultimate one; the season closing, title deciding Rujumba 7s hosted by Pirates at King's Park. 

Here, Pirates faced off with Heathens in the final. And again, the Pirates won. For the ladies, Black Pearls overcame She Wolves. Heathens had already won the overall trophy but who wouldn't want to beat Pirates at their backyard and walk away with both?

Pirates remained "in charge" by defending their territory but also bagging their custom made trophy, one that came out as a true  replication of the sea robbers on deck. 

Infact, the Uganda Rugby Union's official tournament trophy, a "cup" lacked creativity and paled in comparison with the Rujumba 7s trophy that Musoke designed. And some voices saw the difference and voiced out the lack of creativity from the custodians of the sport. 

When NBS Sport hosted Pirates captain Timothy Kisiga, he carried the trophy to the studio and host Andrew Kabuura praised Musoke for his unique works of art.

"My phone buzzed with friends congratulating me, and other potential clients inquiring about prices and many other things. So, I see this heading into the right direction," he adds. 

Challenges

To achieve the desired trophy, Musoke sends sketches to clients and the negotiations ensue. Some are prompt with their response, while others wait for last minute approvals. This bites hard because Musoke and his team require at least 2-3 weeks to put your trophy off their production table.

Also, some clients are always discouraged by the budgets. Musoke doesn't open up on how much he charges because each piece varies in both size, shape and theme. 

Also, peak season comes as a double edged sword. This season he has had to skip many games in order to deliver top notch trophies.

That means he will sometimes have to burn that midnight candle to be able to strike a balance between his work with Uganda Prisons (works in the Industries department, majoring in print), rugby career and school (first year, Bachelors in Video Effects and Animation at Victoria University). 

Musoke believes that the creative industry is still widely virgin and calls for more intentional support and planning from the government towards technical and vocational education. 

"At my workplace (Uganda Prisons Services) we can see the difference. We rehabilitate inmates through imparting these skills in say, tailoring, carpentry, agriculture, and other forms of art so that when they serve their sentences, they can be gainfully employed which keeps them away from returning to crime," he adds. 

For Musoke, the signs are there. And he expects his hands to keep churning out quality work. 

Profile

Name: Douglas Musoke 

Club: Buffaloes

Position: Utility forward

Education: Diploma in Commercial Art and Design, Ndejje University 

Current course: Bachelor's in Video Effects and Animation (Victoria University)

Official work: Uganda Prisons Services Industries Department (Printing)

Trophies and medals designed so far

Buffaloes 7s

Soggy Cup

Mafro Invitational 7s 

Rugby Africa Women's Cup (medals)

Kyadondo Warmup 7s

Kyadondo 7s

Coronation 7s

Kyabazinga 7s 

Gulu 7s 

Rujumba 7s

Beach Rugby 7s