Avengers Secure Back-to-Back 7s Trimphs with Kyadondo Victory

Avengers Rugby Football Club maintained their form, winning the Kyadondo 7s Women’s Cup on Sunday evening.

The Entebbe-based side saw off a familiar foe in the Black Pearls to kickstart a dominance of their own. Having put a comma to the Pearls’ dominance in Mbale last weekend, the Avengers kicked off with the same wavelength on Saturday, topping their pool.

They started off with a 51-00 whitewash of Panthers RFC. Under the captaincy of Peace Lekuru, they saw off newly promoted Kitgum Queens 41-12. In the second pool game, they silenced the hosts, Thunderbirds, 43-5 in a one-way mauling.

Moving to the semi-final, they scored 36 unanswered points against current Uganda Cup champions Nile Rapids. In the other semi-final, Black Pearls made light work of Thunderbirds with a 36-7 win, setting up a repeat of the Mbale 7s Final.

As was in Mbale, coach Helen Lekuru’s side drew first blood with speedster Emily Lekuru touching down. Shortly after, the Avengers forced a penalty try to draw level.

Avengers Dominate Pearls

Juliet Nandawula continued her excellent run of form to take the Avengers into the lead as the teams went to the break. Maimuna Nassozi was flawless with the extras. After the break, captain Peace Lekuru completed a well-worked team try, dotting down in the middle for an easy Maimuna Nassozi conversion.

After Lekuru stretched the lead for the Avengers, the Entebbe side controlled the tempo of the game before the opposing Lekuru set closed off the game with a double. Thunderbirds beat Nile Rapids 17-12 to complete the podium places on the weekend.

Peace Lekuru was awarded Most Valuable Player of the tournament. The Kyadondo 7s marked a historic milestone as the first 7s circuit to be hosted by a women’s team. The tournament was organized by Thunderbirds RFC, the oldest female rugby side in the country.

Avengers will go into a two week celebratory break as the Nile Special 7s pause for a fortnight. The next circuit will be hosted in Gulu City on the weekend of September 7-8.