Walukuba Barbarians have carved their place into Ugandan rugby folklore, lifting their first-ever Uganda Rugby Sevens Series overall title after a season that blended resilience, consistency, and ambition. Based in Jinja and coached by Leo Lubambula, the Barbarians rose from contenders to champions, marking 2025 as the year they finally broke through.
Their coronation came at the Buffaloes 7s, the final stop of the series. In a twist of fate, it wasn’t Walukuba’s own result that confirmed the title but rather the misstep of their closest rivals. The host side, Buffaloes, fell 14–10 to KOBs in the pool stages, a defeat that denied them a place in the Cup quarterfinals. That single result mathematically ended the title race and secured Walukuba’s grip on the series before the knockouts even began.
The path to glory was forged on the back of consistent excellence. Walukuba lit up the circuit with back-to-back victories at the Kabaka 7s and Kyabazinga 7s, performances that established their credentials as genuine contenders. They followed this with three straight runner-up finishes at the Gulu 7s, Rujumba 7s, and Kabale 7s, each adding valuable points to a growing tally that no one else could match.
Even in tournaments where they fell short of the final, the Barbarians refused to fade. At the Entebbe 7s, they ground out 15 crucial points, and at the season-ending Buffaloes 7s, they collected 13 more despite a quarterfinal defeat to the Rhinos.
In the end, it wasn’t one moment of brilliance that delivered the title but rather a steady accumulation of results, a campaign that never wavered, and a squad that believed in its ability to challenge the country’s best.
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