More than a game: Inside Uganda's rugby culture of camaraderie, and unbreakable bonds

 
The death of Sydney Gogonyo, the Stanbic Black Pirates and Uganda Cranes rubgy star at the hands of a mob sent shock waves not only across the rugby fraternity but the entire country.

The “rugby fraternity” is a whole different vibe, a complete culture on its own, with its own language, its own food choices, fashion, drink (alcohol) choices, a close-knit circle where men and women have different kinds of relationships.

New Vision found out what it means to be a rugger, or rather a rugby die-hard.

 
Sydney Gongodyo was not just another statistic. He was a rugger, which means he had a life and style – the rugby lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that is mostly celebrated, admired although still frowned upon by a few.

The fun that is being a rugger in Uganda

Rugby enjoys a strong following among Uganda's middle class, many of whom were introduced to the game during their school and university years. The sport's culture remains deeply intertwined with educational institutions that have nurtured generations of players and supporters.

The game was introduced to Uganda during the British colonial era by European settlers, administrators and educators who brought with them sports considered essential to physical education and character development.

Elite schools such as King's College Budo and St. Mary's College Kisubi became early centres of rugby development. By the 1950s, increased regional interaction within East Africa helped accelerate the game's growth. The formation of Kampala Old Boys Sports Club (KOBS) in 1963 laid the foundation for domestic competition.

Even former President Idi Amin played rugby during his early military career in the King's African Rifles, representing Uganda at national level.

Other schools like Namilyango College have also contributed a very huge following to rugby, as has Makerere College School. Busoga College Mwiri, Hana Mixed School have also upped their contribution to the number of rugby fans in the recent past. It blows up when the boys walk into the stands, or onto the rugby grounds with their sisters and girlfriends from “sister” schools like St. Mary’s Namagunga, Gayaza High School and Nabisunsa Girls School.

It then becomes as matter of old students from Uganda’s G7 schools. They have their jargon, fashion sense and share much more in common.

 
The language of rugby

“Saturday is leg day for me,” a lady announced in office, while declining to take up an assignment over a weekend, shouted. She was loudly vehement in her refusal, and many, especially the women in the office, turned around in shock. Their interpretation of “leg day” for them was having sex. Wrong. Leg Day, in rugby circles, is the day when most fans put on short shorts and turn up at rugby grounds. It is because there is so much leg length shown that it is called Leg Day.

And since it is a parade of legs, everyone wants to put the best foot forward. Gym life is thus important for a rugby fan. Walking a 70kg torso on pencil-thin legs would be laughable, so they hit the gym to develop the thigh muscles and calves. The ladies are not spared too. Those rugby boys are likely to make undesirable comments if they notice that over time, a particular lady never observes leg day.
 

Malaria time has nothing to do with one of the highest killer diseases in Uganda. It is nail-biting time, or what in soccer time is squeaky-bum time. That time when fans, and players, are “on pressure”, towards the end of the game when either a try or scoring a penalty would win in for them.

 
The fans and celebrities

The rugby fan club has over the years raised its own celebrities. The most notorious rugby fan right now may be Edward Kiwanuka, the rugby-ball shaped Heathens supporter. He is also often a show during the Uganda Cranes games and has often travelled with the team. Team sponsors crave for his physical presence and voice and he has appeared in several adverts over time.

Allan Musoke, simply called Sookee” is the other fan celebrity. Like Kiwanuka, he will rally fellow fans, who will sweep a rugby ground like a hurricane. Their morale boosting songs are the stuff created from boys’ dormitories. For many of such songs, the lyrics, though cryptic, are not something to write about in a family paper.

It is one of the very few sports where fans are allowed to have glass bottles in the stands. So, beer bottles will be over the stands, yet not a single one will be thrown to an infuriating rival. Try allowing that in soccer stands, and ambulances will have a very busy day.

Fans of a losing team do not just walk away after the game. They stay around, to either celebrate with rivals or drown their sorrows in bottles, in the ground or whatever they choose. After a game, rugby grounds stay busy until morning. “We are rivals on the pitch, off the pitch we are friends,” says Mugisha, a fan. It is because of such a party lifestyle that the grounds are invaded by various other people whose only knowledge of rugby is the spelling of the word. Chicks will pour in droves.

Aloyo says, “I love that the sport gives you a family. Rugby really becomes family. I love that Rugby players are extremely disciplined people.”

Kalungi Kabuye, a rugby fan of Rhino RFC and veteran journalist says, “My love for rugby goes back a long way, to Nairobi in the 80s. Had buddies who played for Impala RFC, so we would go and hang out at the club after games. The camaraderie was out of this world; I hadn't seen anything like that before. My biggest memory was 2007 in Madagascar, when Uganda beat the hosts to become African champions. I think it still is our biggest achievement in rugby, and I was fortunate enough to be there. We formed Rhino RFC in the early 90s, so there are still my team.”

No discussion of Ugandan rugby is complete without mentioning Kyadondo Rugby Club, affectionately known as "Kyaddie."

The venue carries one of the most painful memories of rugby in Uganda. On July 11, 2010, Al-Shabaab suicide bombers targeted football fans gathered at Kyadondo to watch the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands. The attack claimed dozens of lives and left many more injured in one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in Uganda's history. Today, the venue remains one of Kampala's busiest recreational and sporting venues, hosting local league matches, national team fixtures, international tournament screenings and social events. The atmosphere on match day remains unmatched, with rugby, music, food, and camaraderie combining to create a unique experience.

The venue is also famous for its food, particularly Michael's legendary roast pork. Alongside local favourites such as kigere, chicken, and rolex, the pork continues to attract visitors from across Kampala.

 
A typical rugby fan does not shy away from food. Go there and no one will be bothered by the amount of food you will push down your throat. As for the choice of drinks, anything that is labelled safe by UNBS goes. There is a joke that it is only at a rugby club that you will find hot chicks drinking beer from 500ml (big) bottles. They do not even call for glasses, like “ladies” are wont to do. Find that same lady in a bar in upscale Kololo, and she will roll off expensive sophisticated drinks off her tongue. Only rugby loosens such tongues to say and consume “everyday people” things.

There has been a long running joke within rugby circles about the large number of women who attend rugby matches. While many are genuine rugby enthusiasts, others are said to be attracted by the athletic physiques of the players. Whatever the reason, “it’s a rugby thing.”