Black Pearls ride on eccentric means
Black Pearls ride on eccentric means
What you need to know:
- Good preparations gave Buteme confidence that the title would end up home with three circuit wins even before the competition kicked off.
- She is also adamant her side has the fastest and most skilled players in Uganda with Grace Auma standing out from the lot. Entebbe based side Blue Whales Rugby Academy won Tier 2 women’s national sevens series.
A rugby game of boys playing against girls is something rarely heard of. To many, it comes off as an unfair contest with boys expected to bulldoze their way through the girls’ defence.
Black Pearls’ coach Helen Buteme has made it a habit to employ the mixed training drill.
She has used it since her days as Lady Cranes coach when she invited a group of male players, Team Orange, to grind it out in the Sunday morning Kings Park heat with the girls.
Buteme has been at it again for the last two months, pitting Stanbic Pirates’ feeder side Sailors against her Black Pearls.
According to Buteme who is also a strength and conditioning expert, this kind of arrangement has benefited the girls on their way to winning the sevens title at the expense of Kitgum Queens, Mbale Queens and Avengers.
“Boys are naturally faster and stronger than the girls. The girls have to think out of the box to match them when in attack,” explained Buteme.
“It also pushes girls to arrive quicker at the breakdown. It also means girls have to defend as a unit because it is hard to match the boys one on one.”
Black Pearls are also a sister side to Pirates and both have enjoyed fruitful outings in the sevens campaign.
While Black Pearls defended the National Women’s Sevens Series on Sunday, Pirates managed second place in the National Guinness Sevens Series despite winning the Coronation 7s on the final day.
Good preparations gave Buteme confidence that the title would end up home with three circuit wins even before the competition kicked off.
She is also adamant her side has the fastest and most skilled players in Uganda with Grace Auma standing out from the lot. Entebbe based side Blue Whales Rugby Academy won Tier 2 women’s national sevens series.
TIER A FINAL STANDINGS
Black Pearls – 9 points
Avengers – 7 points
Mbale Eagles – 4 points
Kitgum Queens – 5 points
TIER A AWARDS
Top try scorer - Grace Auma ,Christine Akello, (5 tries each)
Golden Boot - Maimunah Nassozi, 7 conversions
MVP - Ritta Nadunga
TIER B FINAL STANDINGS
Blue Whales – 13 points
Mbale Eagles 2 – 13 points
Nile Leopardess – 10 points
Spire Lions – 10 points
Black Diamonds – 9 points
Western Franchise – 5 points
TIER B AWARDS
Top try scorer - Mary Nakato, 9 tries
Golden Boot - Isabella Ira, 7 conversions Abbo
MVP - Oliver Onyiru
