Uganda’s rugby fraternity is preparing to bid farewell to one of its most enduring and influential figures, Michael “Gonya” Wokorach, who will retire from active rugby at the end of 2025.
His final appearance is scheduled for 20 December 2025, bringing to a close a remarkable career that has spanned 19 years at the highest level of the game.
Currently turning out for Heathens RFC, Wokorach has been a central pillar of Ugandan rugby, featuring as a loose forward and centre. His journey began with Buffaloes RFC between 2006 and 2007 before he joined Heathens in 2008, a club he has loyally served for 18 years, becoming one of its most respected figures on and off the pitch.
On the international stage, Wokorach’s impact has been equally significant. He earned 54 test caps for the Rugby Cranes XVs, representing Uganda between 2009 and 2019, and again from 2021 to 2023. In sevens rugby, he was a mainstay for Uganda Sevens from 2009 to 2023, playing a key role in the team’s rise on both the continental and global stage. He also featured for the Rugby Uganda Legends during the same period and was named in the Uganda All Stars squad in 2025.
Despite his veteran status, Wokorach has remained competitive in the domestic game. During the 2025 Rugby Premiership, he played eight matches, starting five, averaging 61.75 minutes per game and scoring eight tries at an impressive rate of 1.30 tries per 80 minutes. In the 2025 Uganda Cup, he started all six matches, averaged 71.33 minutes per game and crossed the try line five times.
His honours list reflects an exceptional career. Wokorach is an 11-time Rugby Premiership champion, lifting the title across multiple eras between 2009 and 2024. He has also won the Uganda Cup seven times, the National Sevens Series six times, and the Makerere 10s on three occasions. Regionally, he was part of Uganda’s Elgon Cup-winning teams in 2012 and 2015, the Victoria Cup-winning side in 2023, and the Elgon Warriors team of 2012.
On the continental stage, Wokorach helped Uganda claim the Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens title three times (2016, 2017 and 2022), finishing runner-up twice. He also represented the country at two Rugby Sevens World Cups (2018 and 2022), famously helping Uganda secure the Bowl title at the 2022 tournament, and competed at four Commonwealth Games between 2010 and 2022.
Individually, his excellence has not gone unnoticed. He was named Uganda Rugby Union MVP in 2013 and 2015, finished as Rugby Premiership top try scorer in 2015, won MVP honours at the Makerere 7s in 2014, and was crowned USPA Player of the Year in both 2013 and 2015.
As Wokorach approaches the final chapter of his playing career, his influence on Ugandan rugby is unquestionable. From club dominance to continental success and global appearances, his consistency, leadership and longevity have set a benchmark for generations to come.
His final match on 20 December 2025 is expected to be both a celebration and a moment of reflection — marking the end of an era and honouring a player whose contribution to the game will resonate long after the final whistle.
