The 2025 Rugby Uganda Cup has hit yet another bump with the withdrawal of the Elgon Wolves.
Four walkovers have so far been recorded in the competition, with one of those walkovers coming from the Elgon Wolves, when they failed to provide a fully equipped ambulance for their home game against the Victoria Sharks.
This isn’t the first time a walkover has been awarded to the visiting team to Mbale this season. The Warriors were recipients in the first leg of the 15s relegation playoff, and for the same aforementioned reason.
For the Elgon Wolves, the 2025 rugby season has been one to forget. Amidst hardship, they played on in the 15s and 7s, from which they got relegated, and now aren’t in position to carry on with the Uganda Cup. They cite two main reasons: finances and playing personnel.
One embarrassing recollection of their struggles was during the 15s regular season when the whole team fit into a 14-seater taxi from Mbale, headed to Legends Rugby Grounds in Kampala.
The van that was made available by a well-wisher, unfortunately, broke down around Mukono town, about 15 kilometres from their destination, forcing the team to figure out the rest of the journey. Needless to say, they received a thumping from Rhinos RFC on that outing.
Points reduction during the National 7s series for fielding an ineligible player only added to their woes. The unspoken internal conflicts the club has persevered in the background are yet to come to the fore.
With only two years of top-flight action, the club has undergone two breakaways that sources within the establishment have decided to keep private. It is these secessions that have led to the reduction in the number of players, as some lads have walked away with the Gangas RFC or Bududa Dragons factions.
Coupled with financial constraints, which include failure to even raise and pay the requisite Ugx. 200,000 to participate in the Uganda Cup, the Elgon Wolves have made the smart, but painful decision to walk away from the competition altogether.
