Nile Rugby Football Club under the Jinja Rugby Football Facility is the only competitive sport rugby club in Uganda, located outside Kampala city area. It is one of the oldest rugby clubs tracing its origins in the 1960s era

The team started in the 1960s, however it wasn’t until the late nineties when a construction company-Mwolem took over its funding that the team advanced to the national rugby league. A big section of the expatriates based in Jinja joined in to make it one of the most vibrant teams in the country and was one of the super six from 1982 to 1992.

In 1992 the expatriates left Jinja, since they had not put in place a sustainability mechanism, the team collapsed and did not compete for at least a year.

Later a group of students came together and tried to restart the team, they even managed to win the plate competition in the 2002 seven-aside competition. Considering that the students do not have a solid financial base, the field was eventually overgrown with grass, medical kits were depleted, balls and jerseys got worn out and were not replaced, there was no coach or manager. In short, the team was barely surviving without the necessary equipment and training facilities.

Jinja rugby football club was rejuvenated two years ago when Gilbert Baayenda a young medical graduate devoted his free time to forming a rugby team from scratch. He linked up with Edward Ochieng, Andrew Muzoora, Fatuma Moshen and Micheal Abaliwano and they embarked on transforming a goat and cow grazing area field in Jinja into a rugby club. “We stared training and playing music out of my pick up truck every Friday evening and inviting friends over” says Gilbert the illustrious founder.” This brought us new playing friends like Andrew, Ken, Isaac and Mathew and the team grew to the total strength of five people. We then set about slashing the pitch, buying fuel for the generator, buying beer and inviting friends to take part in fun rugby festivals which were our very own creation.”

A chance encounter with Michael Abaliwanio, a university lecturer at Busoga University in Iganga, safari inn resulted in getting the Busoga University students( Mainly Kenyans who played rugby before) on board and the first team which adopted the name NILE RFC was formed and it immediately went to the top of the shield competition. The team was promoted to the Super 8 division this year where in a space of one year we have moved from loosing by more than 100 points in a game to holding Uganda Cup Holders Pirates to a 17-33 result and winning games against smaller super 8 teams.

The fun rugby festivals have grown to be the biggest non-union rugby and fun rugby festivals the country has ever seen with the last good Friday fun rugby hosting 18 teams including and Kenyan Team, 5,000 fans and a cash prize of 1,000,000/=

The facility has hosted the Tag rugby development trust of the UK who were here to introduce tag rugby in Uganda, the secondary schools rugby circuit games, the Jinja Tag rugby competition and the biggest fun rugby festival in the country to date and the introduction of the corporate fun football competition in July 2007.

Achievements

1. We have managed to repair, and are in the process of equipping the clubhouse.
2. We have held four major events this year including the tag rugby coaching Clinic, fun rugby festival, the Corporate football and the rugby dinner.
3. We have taken part in the referees and coaching courses.
4. We have managed to maintain the pitch most of the year.
5. We have made new friends in the rugby world.
6. We managed to play all our away games even though we have no sponsorship.
7. Nile boasts of a rich multicultural team, with Tongans, Kenyans, Britons, South Africans and the Irish getting involved in ouractivities

Challenges

1. The biggest challenge is lack of sponsorship for the team. To transport, feed and maintain 40 people for one game in Kampala requires a minimum of 750,000/= yet we have to make more than 10 trips this year. Minimum required to play all games a year including Uganda Cup is 15,000,000/=.
2. So far we have spent12,000,000/= on playing home and away games including transporting the members to and from Iganga most of this money has been personal money borrowed or donated by the committee members to whom I am most grateful.
3. Lack of a uniform means that the team does not look very nice on the pitch and this is to our psychological disadvantage.

WHO IS WHO AT JINJA RUGBY CLUB
Gilbert Baayenda William
Assistant District Director of Health Services Jinja
Founder and Club Chairman
Jinja/ Nile RFC
0712301100

Edward Ochieng
Vice Chairman

Abaliwano Michael B.com
Dean of Business studies Busoga University
Club Exec.Secretary

Moshen Fatuma
Treasure

Eng. Andrew Muzoora
Executive Committee Member

Sendijja Roger
Head of Medical Unit