Western region rugby play offs final

Tooro Lions 13 Mbarara Titans 3

Tooro Lions roared over Mbarara Titans with a 13-3 win in the Western region rugby playoffs finals at Booma grounds in Fort Portal over the weekend, to reach the national quarterfinal offs for the first time.

A try by Urban Aijuka followed by a Franz Amigo's conversion with penalties and Timothy Mukama ensured the Lions made a statement ahead of the national playoffs whose dates are yet to be announced.

Tooro Lions (black) battle Mbarara Titans (sky blue) during the Western region rugby finals

Coached by Traton Norah Nyangoma, the only female handling a men’s rugby side in the region, the Lions attacked from start, forcing the resistant Titans into their half for a large part of the first stanza before their effort was finally rewarded with an Aijuka try and even when Marvin Agaba made home a penalty, it just remained a consolation.

"I am proud of my players for having contributed tirelessly to see this club's vision through. It has been a journey filled with ups and downs and so many lessons have been learned. I thank them all for their support, putting their bodies on the line whenever they are called upon. We deserve to celebrate this victory knowing we have earned it,” said Lions coach Norah Nyangoma.

The Lions reached the final without sweating after Kigezi Silverbacks failed to honour the fixture in Fort Portal. while the Titans outsmarted rivals MUSTangs 29-8.

Tooro Lions (black) battle Mbarara Titans (sky blue) during the Western region rugby finals

Nyangoma’s side reaches the national playoffs with a mixture of season records, having only conceded 9, not concede a try, and not scored more than 3 tries in the entire season, a mean scoring and conceding record they can dwell on for success in the coming playoffs.

This year’s playoffs have been changed from semifinal to quarter-final stage and this means Tooro Lions and Mbarara Titans have qualified alongside The Eagles and The Warriors (Central region) and Elgon Wolves and Njeru Hurricanes (Eastern) while Northern region qualified teams.