Musinguzi hits century with victory over Rhinos

Robert Musinguzi has now walked out of the tunnel as Stanbic Black Pirates coach one hundred times, a milestone reached on Saturday with a 38-6 win over Rimula Rhinos in the Nile Special Rugby Premiership.

It all unfolded on the same ground, Legends, where he opened his Pirates account against Impis in the 2017 Uganda Cup. 

Musinguzi arrived from Sailors, Pirates’ feeder side, with little known about him despite playing scrum half at the club years earlier. 

“I had to earn the players’ trust. Many did not really know me. With time they bought my ideas and style,” he recalls.

Earning players’ trust

In his first season, Pirates returned to the Uganda Cup final after a decade. They lost to Heathens but returned in 2018 to beat the same side in the final for the Sea Robbers’ first trophy in 11 years. 

Musinguzi guided them further to a clean sweep of the league and Sevens honours in the same year. 
“It was then that they all believed we were on track,” he told Daily Monitor. 

It was also his 84th win with 15 losses and a draw. He has also helped Pirates win three of their four major titles and is now paving a way for one of his former players, Marvin Odongo, as coach. 

As director of rugby, Musinguzi is to guide Odongo while chipping in as Rugby Cranes backs coach. 
It was also during his reign that Pirates walked away from Legends into a new Kings Park Arena home in Bweyogerere. He remains the side’s most successful coach.

Pirates remain unbeaten in sevens games with 33 points, one shy of leaders Heathens at 38. The two meet on Saturday at Kyadondo for who takes the first half of the season. 

A Desire Ayera hattrick and a try from Arnold Atukunda kept Pirates sailing in search of the title, keeping up with Heathens. 

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