Buffaloes clinch Gulu 7s title with defensive masterclass

Nile Special Rugby 7’s Gulu

Results

Final

Men

Buffaloes 5 Walukuba 0

Women

Thunderbirds 10 Avengers 14

The Buffaloes leaned heavily on their defensive discipline to edge Walukuba Barbarians 5–0 in the final of the Gulu 7s, part of the ongoing Nile Special 7s Circuit.

Coach Charles Onen emphasized that the team’s focus was on correcting defensive lapses that had cost them in previous matches.

“Defence let us down in the last minute against Heathens, so this time we made it our priority,” Onen said.

Despite a group-stage loss to the Mongers, the Buffaloes bounced back with a gritty quarterfinal win over KOBs. After a 7–7 draw in regulation time, they sealed the victory 14–7 in extra time. In the semifinals, they were clinical, dismantling the Rhinos 24–0 before grinding out a narrow win in the final by defending a single try.

“It was great to see our defence hold up, especially on day two where we conceded just one try. The 24–0 win over Rhinos gave us momentum heading into the final. We knew the key was to deny Walukuba any space,” Onen added.

The victory was bittersweet, as tournament MVP Liam Walker played his final match for the club before relocating to South Africa. “Liam was playing his last game, and the boys wanted to give him something to celebrate,” Onen said.

In the women’s category, the Avengers staged a dramatic rise from third place to claim the title, denying the Thunderbirds a second circuit win. Despite the loss, the Thunderbirds still lead the women’s standings with 41 points, closely followed by the Avengers with 39.