Brian Tabaruka was unopposed as he vied for a new term as Chairman of Kyadondo Rugby Club. The 2023 elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Saturday, 15th July at the establishment’s club house and was attended by players, club members, coaches and Uganda Rugby Union officials.
According to Tabaruka, the major objective for him and his team is to tackle irregularities in the club, something that will ensure that the two-decade old establishment soars to greater heights.
“The first thing is to resolve the irregularities in the club and the ongoing matter that involves the contributors; it’s a matter of constitutionality, it’s a matter of governance and following the principles and terms provided by the leaseholder which is KCCA. This land is principally for the sport of rugby and it is a community facility and we want to push that to the top of the agenda. This club belongs to the community and to all rugby members not a few individuals that are seeking to make it theirs,” Tabaruka noted adding that relevant measures will be taken to resolve these issues.
Albeit solving irregularities being the main priority for the club right now, Tabaruka adds that ensuring the growth and development of teams that call Kyadondo Rugby Club home is key since these teams are a corner stone for the establishment.
“We intend to grow our player base. We want to see our age grade sides increase in numbers because that is what feeds into our future teams. We also want to improve on the welfare of the players.” Tabaruka said adding that they also intend to increase the number of fans. “Some fans are giving us ideas on how to widen the fan base and we have taken note of that. A big fan base means a big platform for sponsors and partners to tap into.”
Top tier men’s sides Heathens and Buffaloes are the only Kyadondo based sides with anchor sponsors. Platinum Credit Ltd sponsors the former whilst the latter is sponsored by CFAO Motors. AAR Healthcare and Rwenzori Bottling company are partners whilst Nile Special are ground sponsors. The club also has academic institutions as partners.
With the other outfits having no sponsors, Tabaruka says that getting more partners on board will help grow the teams and the establishment itself.
“We have a funding challenge but we want to see ourselves get to a point of sustainability where we can manage our costs. We need to show value to potential partners out there, that way companies will want to see their brand here,” Tabaruka noted adding that they’ll up marketing game in order to get more sponsors on board.
However, at the same elective AGM, the other elected individuals include; Emmanuel Baine – Vice Chairperson, Emmanuel Muhangi – Secretary, Geoffrey Okello – Treasurer, Winnie Atyang – Women’s Representative, Michael Okorach – Club Captain. Desire Derekford Mugumisa, Daniel Rweyora and Titus Wambede are committee members.
Kyadondo Rugby Club is a rugby establishment in Kampala, Uganda. It was established in 2000. Its facilities include main ground, a training pitch and a club house. The ground is home to Heathens RFC, a leading rugby club in Uganda, Buffaloes, Stallions, Thunderbirds and Eagles.
