KCB Kobs RFC staged a dramatic second-half comeback to defeat Rams RFC 22-19 and win this year’s Kyabazinga Sevens rugby circuit in Jinja City. Kobs trailed for much of the final but overturned a 19-point deficit in the second half to claim the men’s title at Kyabazinga Stadium.
The two-day tournament, which is part of Uganda’s national Rugby Sevens Series, attracted 20 men’s teams and kicked off on Saturday. Both Kobs and Rams progressed to the semifinals, where they secured victories to set up the final. Rams faced Heathens RFC in the semifinals, with the two sides level at 14 points through the first half.
Rams regained momentum early in the second half, scoring in the second minute to secure a place in the final. Kobs, meanwhile, defeated Stanbic Black Pirates RFC in their semifinal to book their place against Rams. In the final, Kobs opened the scoring with a try to take a five-point lead, but Rams quickly responded with an equaliser.
Rams then took control, scoring two more tries which were successfully converted to establish a 19-point lead by the end of the first half. Kobs returned from the break with a different approach, mounting a strong comeback and eventually reaching 22 points before the final whistle to overturn the deficit and lift the trophy.
Despite Rams’ defeat, their assistant captain Shafic Ssemakula was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Ssemakula said Rams had put in a strong performance to reach the final but lost concentration at a crucial stage of the match. He said the team had planned to contain Kobs throughout the seven-minute periods but drifted from its game plan.
“We had a plan of neutralizing our opponents throughout the seven minutes of play, however, we partially drifted away from it, which offered our opponents a leeway to sail through,” Ssemakula said. Kobs assistant captain Rasur Abiriga attributed the victory to team spirit and the players’ ability to remain committed to their game plan despite going into the break behind.
He said the team maintained its winning mentality in the second half, which helped them complete the comeback. Abiriga said Kobs are now preparing for next week’s Coronation Circuit, which will bring the Uganda Rugby Sevens Series to a close. In the women’s category, Thunderbirds defeated Walukuba Titans 15-12 to win the Kyabazinga Sevens title-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
