Rugby’s one night stand

If you thought rugby, music and beautiful girls have no place together then think again. The One Night Stand Fun rugby do on Friday night was that and a little more. For the first time, rugby was played under floodlights in Kampala, a fun-fair akin to the experience at the evening basketball dos under the dub Friday Night Lights (FNL).

“We leave in a world that loves having fun after a long day or even week at work, FNL gives you just that,” Kinetic Management Group manager Cedric Babu said on the launch of the FNL two years ago.

And on Friday, Kweli Promotions’ Patrick Kanyomozi tested whether rugby could be fun to watch at night and the crowd gave him a positive response. There were 12 teams playing and Team Wakorach smiled the most after they beat 11 other team to the ultimate prize of Shs1.5m, which did not last beyond the venue’s bars.

Kanyomozi was also inspired by the Impala Floodlit 7s in Nariobi, Kenya. It started as an annual tournament but now is played five times a year due to public demand.

Of course not everyone was there for rugby. It was a get-together for friends and for both rugby fans and music lovers. Rema and Leone Island’s Young Mulo entertained guests.
An estimated 2,000 tickets and more were sold, which was a good start for a new event as professional rugby games at times hardly attract half the number.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com