Black Panthers awards and party night

Black Panthers had their end of year party on Saturday after the game with the Wazee. Before we got down to the 'serious' stuff, awards for the 2009 achievers were given out. The Black Panthers' patron, Foxy Ojambo, was on hand to present the awards.

For the second year running, Claire Anena received the Miss Black Panthers award. NO, we did not hold a beauty pageant. Miss Black Panthers is awarded to the person who gives her all to the club both on and off the pitch. 17 year old Regina scooped the 7's player of the year award while Beatrice Atim beat off competition from Brenda Kayiyi and Emmannuela Oroma to bag the 15's player of the year award. Emma Oroma got the Special Award: a trophy that goes to a player who stood out on pitch but was unlucky to miss out on the awards. Brenda Kayiyi deservedly got the Black Panthers player of the year award for the second year in a row.

Foxy handed over a new set of jerseys to the team captain, Prossy Nakakande with a promise to keep supporting the team.

With the unserious business done, we got down to the real purpose of the night: drinking and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.

Wazee - Panthers pictures

More action pictures from Wazee game

More Wazee - Black Panthers pictures

Toly with hands on knees. He must be thinking 'What the hell am I doing here? I need this game to end now ...'

Wazee - Black Panthers pictures

Farewell picture with Neva

Black Panthers prepare to receive a kick off

Wazee ready to receive a kickoff

Wazee chase after they kickoff

Scrum time - and we thought the Thunderbirds are heavy

Wazee overwhelm Black Panthers

A hard fighting Black Panthers went down 61 - 21 to the Wazee. The Wazee walked in 4 easy tries in the first quarter. However, the second quarter saw Black Panthers stepping up their defence and hitting back with a try of their own. The Black Panthers showed good skills and aggression forcing the Wazee to change their laid back approach and work hard for possession. Although obviously unfit the Wazee were just too good for the ladies and limited them to just two more tries in the last quarter while piling in more of their own.

Jim Middleton's superb hooking starved the Panthers of ball in the scrum and his game was punctuated by galloping runs down the touchline before offloading to the winger then standing in that same spot (with his hands on his waist) recovering his breath and waiting for the ball to get back to him before he would set off again, causing havoc in the Panthers' defence. Jim was understandably knackered after and game and took about 10 minutes (aided by a few large gulps of restorative Bell lager) before he could talk to anyone. The Wazee named Jim their Man of the Match. Captain Alex Kalimugogo played 8th man as if he was trying out for the Uganda Rugby Cranes - his game was characterised by good 8th man picks, batting hapless Panthers out of his way on his rampaging runs that were sprinkled with the occasional side step. The traumatised ladies unanimously named him Man of the Match for the Wazee. Bobby Musinguzi suffered the ignominy of being the only player to be yellow carded in the game while Solomon Ssendigya, David Kirabira and Ramsey Olinga shared the gong for the most tackled and most fun to tackle Wazee. Kasasa's dummies were not bought and Mark Kyagaba was completely bamboozled by Brenda Kayiyi's sidestep. Brenda was playing at centre (12) but she was all over the pitch and her shuddering tackles stopped the Wazee in their tracks and her attacking game was brilliant. Small wonder that the Wazee unanimously named her Woman of the Match for the Black Panthers.

However, despite winning by such a large margin, the Wazee were impressed by way the Black Panthers played and have pledged to be available for more games next year. A second fixture has been tentatively set for January 16th 2009.

A few post match quotes from the Wazee:

Mark Kyagaba 'It's good that we had many players and could do rolling substitutuions otherwise we would be embarrased by these kids and playing the game in quarters has been helpful too.'

Sam Ahamya 'You ladies made a mistake agreeing to play in quarters. The quarters allowed the Wazee to recover. If the game had been in halves you might have won'.

Solomon Ssendigya ' The game that was!! Jim galloped like a 16year old spring chicken, the old foxy was up to his old tricks, mbalu re-invented the laws of the scrum and Kyagaba was left at 'sixes and sevens' by that STEP!! Totally priceless! To Helen and the girls, well done and keep working hard, to the absentees: Issa, Andrew,Nathan, Martin,Gumz, Arthur, Ham,William,Roger,Jonah,Paul, you gotta pay big for the 'gang' to repeat the performance!'

Herbert Wafula 'Despite the score, you ladies played a great game of rugby. Keep it up and don't become complacent'.

Ramsey Olinga 'You ladies hardened on us in the second quarter. Our gender was being threatened. We had to up our game and forget that you are women and play hard'.

Brian Makalama 'You played a great game. You actually scored 3 tries against us!'

Wazee name strong squad for Saturday's clash

Last year, Kenya's top women's club (Mwamba Invaders) played the Mwamba Wazee, the women won the game. However, this Saturday, the game is in Uganda and will see the toughest women rugby players in Uganda (Black Panthers) facing off the Wazee. To stave off the possibility of defeat this weekend, the Wazee have named a strong squad. The Wazee team boasts of a number of former Ugandan internationals (and a couple of Kenyan internationals) including 6 players who played in the first ‘official’ Ugandan national team in 1997: Ian Walker and Jim Middleton played in the forwards while Yayiro Kasasa, Martin Kasasira, Rogers Sebina and Herbert Wafula were in the backs. Some of the wazee started off their rugby careers as backs but will now feature in the forwards to accommodate their loss in agility/pace and to celebrate their well earned extra weight. Black Panthers also boasts a number of international players (with the earliest cap being in 2005) including 4 players who were on the history making World Cup 7’s team: Brenda Kayiyi, Charlotte Mudoola, Helen Buteme and Prossy Nakakande. As promised here are tentative team lists for the weekend's match up.

Wazee

1. Mark Kyagaba/Henry Musoke

2. Jim Middleton/Jonathan Kamukama

3. Brian Makalama/George Mbalu

4. Sam Ahamya/Ian Walker/Eddie Owor

5. Martin Kasasira

6. Paul Nyangabyaki

7. Andrew Owor/Solomon Ssendigya

8. Herbert Wafula

9. David Kirabira/Fabian Tonda/Bobby Musinguzi

10. Tolbert Onyango/Yayiro Kasasa/Alex Kalimugogo

11. William Blick/David Mutaka

12. Issa Issa/Ramsey Olinga

13. Rogers Sebina

14. Andrew Owiny/Arthur Mugweri/Geoffrey Mabonga

15. Foxy Ojambo/Andrew Okullo

Team manager: George Mbalu

Black Panthers

1. Fortunate Irankunda

2. Loy Mbabazi

3. Hellen Gizamba

4. Gladys Ayiorwoth

5. Roselyn Papalita

6. Claire Anena

7. Aisha Bahanii

8. Josephine Namayega

9. Regina Athieno

10. Neva Lundy

11. Emmanuella Oroma

12. Beatrice Atim

13. Brenda Kayiyi

14. Charlotte Mudoola

15. Prossy Nakakande (Captain)

16. Angela Athieno

17. Kate

18. Rehema Kampiire

19. Shamim Najjemba

20. Helen Buteme

21. Irene Namapii

Team managers: Rebecca Akwenyu and Anne Alan Sizomu

Match referee: Dennis Anguyo

Wazee strong favourites in epic encounter

With just a few days to go, a couple of the Wazee have been spotted at Kampala Rugby Club running around the pitch in a bid to get their fitness levels up for their clash against Black Panthers. Other Wazee have preferred to conduct their fitness sessions in the privacy of their backyards so as not to give too much away to the opponents. Some have joined the Black Panthers in their touch rugby games during training and after a couple of minutes of exertion resign themselves to holding their waists as they command their youthful teammates on which gaps to take in attack and which gaps to close in defence all the while claiming that they are on a spying mission. Others still have opted not to do anything that will waste their energy ahead of the game and have resorted to using pre-match psychological warfare against the Black Panthers. The Wazee go into the game as strong favourites but the undercats are looking to topple the veterans from their pedestals.

One former Ugandan international has complained that it is unlikely that he will be at his best during this epic encounter as he is used to playing in 40,000 seater stadiums and a crowd of less than 10,000 will not inspire him to show his trademark step and blistering pace. However, he has promised to come out with all guns blazing and hopes to put up a performance that will evoke memories of his heydays.

Both teams are psyched up and raring to go and this promises to be a highly entertaining match.