Prime
Broke URU cancel Uganda Cup
Rugby Cranes Phillip Wokorach goes for the posts against Zimbabwe in the 2024 Africa Cup. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
The body, without admitting cancellation, has now confirmed that the Cup will not be contested this year but the next edition will take place from September 6 to October 25 next year.
The 2024 Uganda Cup will not take place after the Uganda rugby Union confirmed a new schedule for the 2025 season. The tournament was set to kick off on Saturday 23 but the Union postponed citing player welfare claiming that the players needed rest “after an intense and demanding season”.
The body, without admitting cancellation, has now confirmed that the Cup will not be contested this year but the next edition will take place from September 6 to October 25 next year.
“We have not postponed it but it will now be the final activity in the calendar next year,”Shafik Kiyaga, the media officer at the Union explained.
“It has been overlapping two years and that’s why it’s called Uganda Cup 2024/25 but it will now be held inside one calendar year from September to October,” he added.
January kick-off
The newly-released schedule for 2025 confirms that the Nile Special Rugby Championship will kick off on January 11 together with the women’s and Reserve Championship. The championship will take 18 weeks and conclude on may 3.
Heathens swept all three major titles last season.
Regional fifteens championships will start on February 1 and play the Core Status Playoffs in May just before the National Sevens that will kick off on May 31 to August 17. The regional version is slated for June to July before their Core Status qualifiers in August.
National teams
The dates World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series are scheduled to kick off on March 1 and April 12 for the respective Rugby Cranes and Rugby Ladies Cranes respectively before the Africa Men’s Sevens in June. The Africa women’s Sevens will be played four months later in October.
The 2025 Rugby Africa Cup will be hosted in Kampala from July 10-21. Their 15s’ counterparts will play their scheduled test match against Tunisia in June.
November is set for Victoria and Elgon Cup derbies between Kenya and Uganda as teams enter off-season.
2025 Uganda Rugby Union Calendar
January 11: Rugby Championship, women’s & Reserve Championship
September 6: Uganda Cup
February 1: Regional 15s championships
May: 15s Core Status Playoffs
May 31: National Sevens
June: Regional Sevens
August: 7s Core Status Playoffs
National teams
March 1 & April 12: World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series
June: Africa Men’s 7s
June: 15s Tunisia Home Test Match
October: Africa women’s 7s
July 10-21: Rugby Africa Cup
November: Victoria and Elgon Cup
November: End of season/transfers open
