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Elgon Wolves deliver topflight rugby to Mbale
Wolves are delighted. PHOTO/FRED MWAMBU
What you need to know:
Wolves secured promotion to the rugby championship after finishing second in the four-team Nile Special Core Status playoffs. The new one-leg round-robin mini-league playoffs format was introduced this season.
Weekends in Mbale City promise thrilling sporting entertainment with the resurgence of football and rugby.
Mbale Heroes sparked joy among football fans by rejoining the Uganda Premier League after nearly two decades of absence.
Meanwhile, Elgon Wolves made history as the first team from greater Bugisu since the collapse of Elgon RFC from the late-1950s to mid-1960s to reach the top level.
Wolves secured promotion to the rugby championship after finishing second in the four-team Nile Special Core Status playoffs. The new one-leg round-robin mini-league playoffs format was introduced this season.
Victoria University’s Sharks emerged with 13 points, four ahead of Wolves. Sharks defeated Gulu City Falcons (Northern) 25-21, Wolves 16-0 and Kigezi (Western) 29-15. Wolves secured promotion by beating Gulu 36-16 and Kigezi 29-15 in away fixtures. Gulu's only victory came against Kigezi in a 23-12 result in Kabale.
Sharks and Wolves have replaced Impis and Rams who were relegated to their regions.
Breakaway faction
Wolves was formed in 2017 after several players parted ways with their parent club, Mbale Elephants, which had started nine years earlier in 2008.
“There were several issues that forced several disgruntled players of [Mbale Elephants] to form another club,” Steven Anguma who started Elephants and set up the playing structure when forming Wolves explained.
The players who jumped Elephants’ herd to start Wolves include the Katumba brothers of Hamisi and Salim, Twahil Magawa, George Okello (currently with Rams) and recently George Wambutu.
“We’ve been dreaming of having a club in the league but now we need to strengthen the structures to support the club for a sustainable future like the Jinja teams have done,” Anguma, who doubles as the Eastern Regional development officer advises.
Unlike Elephants, Wolves has set up structures that voted in David Peter Washeba the chairperson and his deputy Christian Waniaye in February.
The 11-man executive has already overseen their sister team She-Wolves making their debut in the women’s league earlier in the year.
Looking ahead, Wolves aim to venture into the Nile Special Sevens waters after achieving core sevens status last year.
Nile Special Rugby Championship
Core status playoff results
Gulu City 16-36 Elgon Wolves
Victoria 39-13 Kigezi
Kigezi 12-23 Gulu City
Elgon Wolves 00-16 Victoria
Kigezi 15-29 Elgon Wolves
Gulu City 21-25 Victoria
