Makalama vows comeback after Budo’s defeat to Namilyango
Makalama made the remarks after his side suffered a 26-7 loss to Namilyango College in the U20 category of the schools’ rugby championship in Budo on Sunday.
Budo players tackle a Namilyango opponent with the ball during their Championship match in Budo on Sunday. Namilyango won 19-7. (PHOTO BY JOHNSON WERE)
By Johnson Were
Journalists @New Vision
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Budo coach Brian Makalama conceded defeat to Namilyango but vowed to return to the drawing board and come back stronger.
Makalama made the remarks after his side suffered a 26-7 loss to Namilyango College in the U20 category of the schools’ rugby championship in Budo on Sunday.
“It was a bad day for us in the office. The schools have just started, and we had little time to prepare, but we are going to address the areas of concern and be back strong in the following games against Hana Mixed and London College,” Makalama said.
However, Makalama will not have a chance for direct revenge in a return leg due to the tournament’s new round-robin format, where the top two teams qualify directly for the semi-finals.
Budo players try to stop a Namilyango opponent with the ball during their Championship match in Budo on Sunday. Namilyango won 19-7. (PHOTO BY JOHNSON WERE)
Namilyango coach Emmanuel Walakira confirmed this after his side’s 26-7 victory over Budo’s U20 team, the ‘Red Lions.’
“I am excited and happy to have this win because I now need one more victory to qualify for the semi-final. But I will celebrate when I beat them at the nationals, where they are better than us in trophies,” Walakira said.
Budo successfully defended their national title last year, defeating St. Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) 15-12 in the final. In 2023, they edged Namilyango 23-21 to win the championship in Mbarara in the 15s version of the game.
In Sunday’s match at Budo, Namilyango took control early, heading into halftime with a 12-0 lead thanks to tries from Mark Kiyingi and Joshua Wakooli, with Deogratius Andruale adding a conversion.
Budo fought back in the second half, earning a penalty try through Trevor Sekankya. However, their hopes were short-lived as Namilyango extended their lead with a try from Andruale, sealing the win at 19-7.
In the earlier matches, Budo dominated the U15 category, beating Namilyango 35-21, while Namilyango triumphed in the U17 match with a 24-7 victory.
Schools’ Rugby Championship
U20: Budo 7 Namilyango 26
U17: Budo 7 Namilyango 24
U15: Budo 35 Namilyango 15