Sister act: The Mufuwas make Lady Cranes history

Racheal (Left) and Immaculate Mufuwa (Right) are part of Uganda Lady Cranes 7s team heading into this weekend’s Rugby Africa 7s/2020 Olympics Qualifiers. Photo by Regina Nalujja

What you need to know:

  • The older Mufuwa’s physical build means she plays in the pack while Racheal is a back liner.

For the first time ever, the Uganda Lady Cranes 7s team heading into this weekend’s Rugby Africa 7s/2020 Olympics Qualifiers in Tunisia will have siblings in their ranks. However, Immaculate Mufuwa and her younger sister, Racheal, must pray that their entry into the history books doesn’t end at just that.
Uganda has had siblings playing together, albeit, in the 15s code. These include Joan Andika Mukoya and Dorothy Nekesa, Helen Koyokoyo Buteme and Irene Bunihizi Namapii plus Beatrice Atim and Christine Akello.

The Mufuwas know that it’s a distant dream for Uganda to finish top of the 12 teams and qualify directly for Tokyo, but it’s one they want to chase.
Born in Jinja in May 2000, Immaculate is just a year older than Racheal, and has represented Uganda at the past two continental 7s tournaments. Her CV also has an appearance at the World Qualifiers in Hong Kong.
But during the interview at the team’s Allianz Hotel Bweyogerere base on Wednesday, she cuts a shy figure and it’s the rookie sister, Racheal, who does much of the talking. “Mercy (Immaculate) is very shy. She fears people,” Racheal intimates.

The beginnings
When Buteme and a few friends introduced women’s rugby to the Walukuba neighbourhood in Jinja, the likes of Grace Auma, Peace Wokorach, Gilder Azikuru and Immaculate took it up with both hands.
They were part of the Jinja Police Teargas Rangers team that played in the national U-19 league against the likes of Kyadondo Eagles and Entebbe Sharks. Racheal was a footballer at the time and her only excursions into rugby ended at casual non-contact (touch) sessions.
When the older lot got promoted to the Walukuba Titans, Racheal saw Immaculate moving places. Racheal was also picking many injuries in football. She chose to join her sister.

“But she was a weak girl and her sister made it worse by being overly protective of her. Sometimes she would discourage her from doing the hard work and if you can’t do the hard work then you have no future in rugby. I had to be hard on Immaculate to let the kid be,” says Buteme, who doubles as their club and national team coach.

Into the deep end
“I was a bit scared of playing full contact. But the older girls were playing and enjoying it so I gave it a try. The first day wasn’t fun for me. Someone smashed into me and I wanted to give up,” says Racheal.

“But I kept going back and surprisingly, I’ve not picked serious injuries in rugby. So I believe soccer is more dangerous than rugby,” she adds.
Having Immaculate as a role model made things easy for Racheal at their home. Their parents just let her play because they had seen the benefits; Immaculate had started making trips all over Uganda and rugby was promising to cater for her education.
As teammates at Walukuba Titans (now called Black Pearls), they won the national 7s title in 2018.

Rugby came good on its promise and started paying fees for Immaculate since her Senior One days at Jinja SSS. Even now, they are funding her cosmetology course at YMCA- Jinja. Same story with Racheal’s studies at Jinja SSS. She is in Senior Five.
Different styles, one blood
The older Mufuwa’s physical build means she plays in the pack while Racheal is a back liner.
When they had just started playing together Immaculate always kept an eye on her kid sister. “Whenever someone tackled her hard, I’d feel like going and slapping them,” says Immaculate.
“Me I don’t care. On the pitch I just play my game; I am more independent now, I can finish my battles on my own,” boasts the young Mufuwa.

Buteme their club and national team coach, points out the differences: “Racheal is fast, her endurance is excellent and has a good pass off both hands. She doesn’t have her big sister’s aggression but she is very much a team player who creates space for her team and when need be she also takes the ball into contact. Her sister has that raw power that uses as a forward.”
What they love about each other? “Immaculate keeps an eye on me and she will do everything to protect me. But when she gets angry during our disagreements, she can beat me up.”
Immaculate’s take on her young sister? “She is a good adviser and hard worker. If she puts her head on something, she will not give up until she has achieved it.”

And in Lady Cranes’ way of doing things, rookies carry their seniors’ luggage at the airport.
“I wont help her (to carry luggage). She is a rookie and must go through it all. She will suffer with it and I will be laughing,” says Immaculate. And will they share rooms in Tunisia?
“It’s unlikely that they will be paired up together. If they dare do, we shall fight,” jokes Lekuru.

One sure thing for the Mufuwas is that they’ve reached here and want to keep going. Lekuru’s experience in New Zealand, where she spent three months on an apprenticeship program, they say, inspires them to work harder.
Uganda, ranked second in Africa, is grouped with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The winners of the two-day tournament qualify directly for next year’s Olympics in Tokyo, while the second and third best teams proceed to a global repêchage.

Travelling team:

FFG camp.
Agnes Nakuya, Charlotte Mudoola (Captain), Emilly Lekuru, Flavia Agenorwot, Gilder Azikuru, Grace Auma (Assistant captain), Immaculate Mufuwa, Lydia Namabiro, Mary Gloria Ayot, Peace Mirembe, Proscovia Ayero and Racheal Mufuwa.
Coach: Helen Koyokoyo Buteme
Physio: Prossy Namusisi
Manager: Phionah Nakatete