Namilyango run riot against MACOS in semi-final first-leg
“We won, and it’s great that we did so with a big margin. We will use the return leg to polish a few weak areas so that we reach the final fully prepared for any challenge,” an elated Kakuru said.
A Makerere College player with the ball takes on Namilyango opponents in green during theU17 semifinal game. Namilyango won 22-11. (PHOTO BY JOHNSON WERE)
By Johnson Were
Journalists @New Vision
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Schools Rugby Semi-Final Results
U20
Budo 20-16 SMACK
MACOS 0-48 Namilyango
U17
Budo 13-10 SMACK
Maccos 11-22 Namilyango
Namilyango College coach Ambrose Kakuru plans to use the second leg of the schools rugby semi-final against Makerere College to fine-tune weak areas ahead of the final.
Kakuru made the remarks after Namilyango’s commanding 48-0 victory over Makerere College in the first leg of the semi-final at Makerere Rugby Ground on Sunday, March 16, 2025.
“We won, and it’s great that we did so with a big margin. We will use the return leg to polish a few weak areas so that we reach the final fully prepared for any challenge,” an elated Kakuru said.
Moya Ngati and Garvin Padde each scored two tries, leading Namilyango to a dominant win at the Graveyard Ground in Makerere.
The victory strengthened Namilyango’s chances of reaching the final of this year’s Central Region Schools Rugby Premiership.
Namilyango's Ambrose Sebalijja with the ball tackled by Makerere College oppnents in the Schools Rugby Premeirship semifinal at the Grave Yard Ground in Makerere on Sunday. Namilyango won 48-0. (PHOTO BY JOHNSON WERE)
Joshua Kwagala, Ezra Serufusa, and Mark Sekadde also crossed the try line as Namilyango reinforced their title ambitions.
Makerere College will now travel to Namilyango for the return leg on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in the U17 category, Namilyango secured a 22-11 win over Makerere College.
At King’s College Budo, the hosts edged St Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) 20-16 in a fiercely contested U20 semi-final.
Earlier, Budo had also beaten SMACK 13-10 in the U17 semi-final, capping off an intense day of schools rugby.
Budo coach Brian Makalama acknowledged that his side faces a tough task but is determined to address areas of concern before the return leg.
“SMACK are title contenders just like us. So, there’s an expectation for high score margins, just like it was in Makerere. We will sharpen the mistakes we noticed and prepare well for the return leg,” Makalama said.
A win for Budo would secure them a place in the final against Namilyango, a team that defeated them in the group stages.