The East African rugby rivalry showcases the best rugby talent which Kenya and Uganda have to offer and allows players from both the national men’s and women’s teams the opportunity to compete for silverware.
The Elgon Cup has left a legacy beyond the field, uniting supporters of Kenya and Uganda through the spirit of rugby. Here, we take a look at the trophy behind one of the most heated rugby rivalries on the continent.
WHAT IS THE ELGON CUP?
The Elgon Cup is named after Mount Elgon, a mountain on the border of Kenya and Uganda, and is the trophy given to the winner of a rugby match contested between the Kenya and Uganda men’s and women’s national teams on an annual basis.
The Elgon Cup is played over two legs on a home and away basis and the winner on aggregate walks away with the prestigious trophy.
The men’s and women’s Elgon Cup has been played at various times of the year since its inception in 2004. Matches have been played in April and August, however more recently June and July has been the time of year that Elgon Cup matches take place.
WHEN WAS THE FIRST MATCH?
The first-ever Elgon Cup match between the Kenya Simbas and the Uganda Rugby Cranes took place between the men’s fifteens teams on 31 July, 2004 in Nairobi and on that occasion, Kenya won 18-8.
The Kenya and Uganda men’s teams have a great history on the rugby field and they have done battle 37 times since 1958, including matches prior to the Elgon Cup.
Their first meeting was on 24 May, 1958 in Kampala, with Kenya posting a 21-11 win over their opponents.
It would be 39 years before the two sides met again, Kenya picking themselves up from that win in Kampala with a 65-8 demolition job of the Rugby Cranes at the RFUEA Ground on 23 August, 1997. They would post three more wins before Uganda notched up their first-ever win against Kenya, posting a 31-22 result over the Simbas in Nairobi on 5 October, 2002.
Kenya lead the overall head to head in matches played between the two teams pre and post Elgon Cup with 25 wins while Uganda has registered 12 wins.
WHERE DOES THE ELGON CUP TAKE PLACE?
The Elgon Cup has been played at several stadiums throughout Kenya and Uganda through the years, however the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi and the Kyadondo RFC and Legends RC grounds in Kampala are the usual venues where the Elgon Cup is played.
THE BIGGEST WINNING MARGIN
The biggest winning margin in Elgon Cup history came on 10 July, 2013 when Kenya recorded a 51-11 victory over Uganda. This game was played at Mahamasina Stadium in Antanaravivo, Madagascar. There have been many exciting battles between the two teams over the years with the two teams playing to a 33-33 draw in Nairobi in 2017.
THE FIRST-EVER WOMEN’S MATCH IN THE ELGON CUP
The Kenya and Uganda women’s rugby team played their first-ever Elgon Cup match on 13 May, 2006 with Uganda winning 24-0, the return leg which took place in Kampala was closely contested with Uganda emerging with a 3-0 victory.
WHO HOLDS THE WOMEN’S ELGON CUP TITLE?
The Kenya women’s team are the current Elgon Cup champions after defeating Uganda 87-3 in the 2023 edition held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu earlier this month.
The Kenya Lionesses and the Lady Cranes rugby teams have played each other on 19 occasions in the Elgon Cup and Uganda have won the title three times while Kenya have lifted the cup on seven occasions.
In terms of matches played the record stands at seven wins for Uganda while Kenya have won 11 Elgon cup matches, with one draw between the teams.
EAST AFRICAN RIVALRY UNITING SUPPORTERS THROUGH RUGBY
Former Kenya Simbas captain Davis Chenge believes that the Elgon Cup creates a great rugby culture between Kenya and Uganda and the rivalry unites fans from both countries and has helped develop rugby in both Kenya and Uganda.
“The Elgon Cup is one competition I always look forward to, a chance to test ourselves against the best players from Uganda, as our fans test themselves against their Ugandan counterparts and the party after never disappoints. It has played a big role in raising the standard of rugby for both Kenya and Uganda,” Chenge said in an interview with the Kenya Rugby Union.
Former Uganda captain Herbert Wafula (RIP) shared his sentiments on what it means for the Cranes to beat Kenya.
Wafula captained the Uganda team to a historic occasion when he led the Rugby Cranes to a first-ever victory away from home against Kenya in 2002 prior to the introduction of the Elgon Cup, however the history and the passion remains with every battle between the two developing rugby nations which attracts capacity crowds.
“I am honoured to have led a great team in 2002 when Uganda won their first-ever game away from home,” Wafula told Kawowo Sports.
“The ultimate test for any team is to win away from their comfort zone. When you beat a team at their home in international matches it shows you are clearly head and shoulders above them.”
2023 MEN’S ELGON CUP
The Kenya Simbas beat Rugby Cranes 20-13 in the second leg of the 2023 Elgon Cup played at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu earlier this month.
The home side overturned the the first leg’s 21-20 defeat in Kampala to win 40-34 on aggregate and hoist the crown for the 13th time and sixth straight time with Uganda winning only three times, in 2006, 2012 and 2015.
