Volleyball: National Club Championship set for Mukono

The Uganda Volleyball Federation (UVF) is using the National Club Championship to bring affiliated clubs together and strengthen domestic volleyball.

The 2026/27 National Club Championship will be held from October 2 to 4 at the UCU Sports Complex in Mukono, according to a letter dated September 16 and signed by UVF General Secretary George Aporu.

In the letter to club and team managers, the federation said all affiliated clubs are eligible to compete.

“As affiliated members of the Uganda Volleyball Federation, you are eligible to compete in the upcoming National Club Championship,” the letter stated.

The federation said the championship will bring together teams from across the country to compete, build relationships and determine the club that will represent Uganda on the continental stage.

“The National Club Championship brings together volleyball teams from across the nation to compete, foster camaraderie, and identify a champion who will represent the country on the continental stage,” the letter stated.

That means the championship is about more than just the national title.

When clubs come together, players get to face different opponents, while coaches can assess their squads and give emerging players more exposure.

The federation has also made participation compulsory for all Serie A and Serie B teams.

That will give lower-division clubs a chance to measure themselves against more experienced sides and offer their players valuable competition.

The championship also comes as clubs prepare for the 2026/27 season, giving teams another opportunity to assess their squads before the league campaign begins.

The participation fee has been set at shs500,000 per team.

The technical meeting for participating teams will be held on October 1 at the Uganda Olympic Committee boardroom in Kampala, starting at 6pm.

The National Club Championship has previously provided a platform for clubs to compete for a place on the continental stage. KCCA, for example, won the women's championship in 2025 and secured Uganda's place at the 2026 Women’s African Volleyball Clubs Championship in Cairo. KCCA had a difficult start, losing to Nigeria Customs, Tunisia’s CF Carthage and Kenya’s DCI in the group stage. They recovered with a 3-0 win over DR Congo’s VLA to reach the Round of 16. KCCA then lost 3-0 to hosts and 10-time African champions Al Ahly.

Ugandan clubs have struggled against some of the top teams in the CAVB Zone V Club Championship in recent years. At the 2025 Zone V championship in Kampala, Sport-S Ladies were Uganda's only team to win a medal, taking bronze after beating KCB Nkumba 3-2 in the third-place playoff.

In the men's competition, Sport-S finished fourth after losing to Rwanda Energy Group in the bronze-medal match, while Nemostars reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions APR.

Those results showed the level Ugandan clubs face outside the country and the need for stronger domestic competition.