Stanbic Bank Uganda has officially flagged off Pirates Rugby Club ahead of the club’s historic appearance in the Enterprise Cup final in Nairobi this Saturday.
The send-off ceremony was held at Crested Towers and presided over by Stanbic Bank Uganda Executive Director and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Paul Muganwa, together with Exco director Kenneth Patrick Ogwal.
The Pirates delegation was led by club president James Byaruhanga alongside the 26-man squad captained by Isaac Massanganzira. The team’s vice-captains are Alex Aturinda and Conrad Wanyama.
The Ugandan champions will face six-time Kenyan champions Kabras Sugar RFC in the final scheduled for Saturday, May 30, in Nairobi, Kenya.
The final marks a major milestone for Ugandan rugby, coming nearly five decades since a Ugandan club last reached the Enterprise Cup final, a feat that has remained elusive for generations of players and fans.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony, Muganwa congratulated Pirates RFC on their remarkable journey to the final and challenged the players to represent Uganda with pride.
“The ‘Twende Nairobi’ campaign is more than a rugby campaign. It is a movement that connects travel, regional integration, innovation, fan culture and seamless financial solutions into one shared East African experience,” he said.
Muganwa urged the players to give their best and fly Uganda’s flag high as they seek to bring the prestigious trophy home.
Over the years, Pirates Rugby Club has established itself as one of Uganda’s dominant rugby clubs, winning several domestic honours and consistently competing at the highest level of the sport.
Their qualification for the Enterprise Cup final has been described as a reflection of Stanbic Bank’s ongoing “Keep Growing” campaign, which champions ambition, resilience and regional excellence.
Massanganzira expressed confidence in the squad’s readiness ahead of the highly anticipated clash in Nairobi.
“This final is bigger than the Pirates badge. We are representing Ugandan rugby and an entire country that believes in what this team has achieved,” he said.
He added that the players are in excellent condition and fully prepared to represent not only the rugby fraternity but the entire nation.
Pirates RFC head to Nairobi seeking to make history by becoming the first Ugandan club to win the Enterprise Cup in the modern era.
In the backline, attention will focus on vice-captain Frank Kidega, playmaker John Paul Atim, Humphrey Tashobya and dangerous finisher Mubarak Wandera as Pirates seek to break down the Kabras Sugar defence.
The inclusion of experienced players such as Conrad Wanyama, Allan Karuhanga and Stephen Alul adds depth and leadership to the travelling squad, while younger players like Timothy Kisiga and Haruna Muhammad are expected to provide energy off the bench.
