A three-year rugby journey for Jinja SS has seen the team crowned East Africa Girls 7s champions. The Jinja Girls team won the FEASSSA Rugby 7s tournament, finishing with 12 points.

They went into their final match against Kenyan champions Kinale Girls with both teams tied at nine points, making it a winner-take-all final. Jinja SS edged out Kinale with a tense 10-5 victory to claim the title.

This is quite an achievement given the bumps this nascent rugby team has faced in its short lifetime.

“Well, as Jinja SS with the girls' rugby in particular, we started it 3 years ago; we started participating in 2023, with only 4 girls who could pass a ball as badly as it looked. We managed to attract a few players from different disciplines like football, athletics, and cricket, and those who were just there for fun.” Head Coach Edmond Quaresma tells Tisini.

The team grew steadily, playing more matches to improve the girls' skills and make them more competitive. This effort paid off almost immediately. In their first attempt at the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) national competition, the team finished second, just behind Nkoma SS.

While it was an encouraging start, this success was not enough to keep the team together. The team lost three key players who were graduating and moving on from secondary school. The bigger blow to coach Quaresma was losing another 3 players, who “were scared of the physicality of the game”.

Jinja SS Recruitment and Four-Year Plan

It was time to pivot to another recruitment strategy; luckily, the coach was well-positioned for this.

“We turned our attention to a group of your girls who were playing for a local club in Jinja called the Nile Rapids (whom I also happen to coach), and we had an MOU with the school to be able to merge academics and sports,” the coach notes.

Jinja SS girls in action during FEASSA 2025

This change in strategy was coded in a four-year plan designed by the school. They designated the first two years for building squad depth. Jinja SS's integration of education and sport is key to giving the girls better opportunities in the future.

The initiative successfully attracted more players, not just from Nile Rapids but from across the region.

Recruits and a bigger squad were followed by the team's first-ever qualification for the 2024 Federation of East African Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) Games, which were held in Mbale, Uganda. It was a largely unsuccessful outing, but a key step in Jinja SS's growth.

“We managed to win only one game and lost 6, but to us it was no shame, as we were still in the first phase of our team build.”

2025 was different, as the team had stability. It has lost only one player and managed to add four recruits. The journey to East Africa's glory did not start that smoothly.

“Domestically, we underperformed, finishing fourth in the nationals, but because it was still just the beginning of our phased plan, we didn't look down on ourselves. We were happy that we had managed to secure a spot in the FEASSA games, and we were looking up to them for more experiences as we grow as a team.”

This was Jinja girls' second time at the regional games; however, the big difference is that they would now play in Kenya. Something the coach notes was always going to be hard, but “the kind of level we wanted to taste and see how far we could go.”

Strategies Against Kenyan Opponents

With only two weeks to prepare after the nationals, Jinja had to completely change their game plan and tactics. Knowing how fast the Kenyan teams are, the team adjusted its defensive approach, opting to mark short with six players up front and one sweeper.

This tactical shift worked well until the loss to St Theresa of Kenya. Coach Quaresma knew he had to reorganise before meeting another Kenyan side, Kinale Girls.

He says, “We knew we had to change our strategy again. Recognising Kinale’s speed and strength, we decided to play deep in their half to force errors. We also knew that dominating set pieces was our best chance at winning. The team captain and the girls fully embraced the new strategy.”

Jinja SS Girls taking on Kenyan Opponents

In a round robin format, this is what secured the team the 7s gold medal. Stability and momentum are something the team will look to next year. Luckily, only two players are leaving the side.

Future Uganda Lady Cranes Stars?

The coach also believes that a number of his players have a future playing at an even higher level in rugby. He notes that some may turn up for the Uganda Lady Cranes.

“We have plenty of gems in the squad who showed their potential in Kakamega, and I'm hoping they are called up for the national team, like Claire Mutesi, Shaine Babirye, Justine Anguchia, MVP Anena Carlo, and many others. All these have clear chances of joining the Cranes, and we still have them all, so this gives us the confidence as we move into next season.”

The Jinja SS boys' team also performed well, winning a bronze medal. This highlights the school's success as a nurturing ground for Ugandan rugby talent.

At the FEASSSA Games in Kakamega, Kenya (August 12-22), Uganda was the top-performing country in the secondary schools category, winning 15 titles. Kenyan schools secured 13 victories, and Rwandan schools won two.

Images Credit: USSSA