Game day 18 results | 14th May, 2023.
KOBs 07 – 23 Pirates
Mongers 15 – 15 Rhinos
Hippos 55 – 09 Walukuba
Buffaloes 14 – 03 Impis
Rams 13 – 65 Heathens
The 2023 Nile Special Rugby Premier League season came to a thrilling conclusion on Saturday 13th May, 2023.
Pirates secured their second league title with a convincing victory over their arch-rivals KOBs in a winner takes all match.
Thought to be a neck-and-neck contest, the game surprisingly turned out to be one-sided as Pirates dominated KOBs, who failed to respond to the pressure mounted onto them, ultimately losing grip of the trophy.
The other matches on the final day of the season also provided some thrilling entertainment for the fans who committed themselves to watching them as most found themselves watching the title decider.
At the House of Payne in Entebbe, Mongers and Rhinos played out an intense 15 all draw. The two sides registered the season’s second draw, the first one being between Relegated Rams and again, Rhinos in Makerere.
In the Jinja Derby, Hippos ran riot with a resounding 55-9 victory over counterparts Walukuba. For the very first time, the victory put Hippos at the half century’s points mark, having made 50 points in a season. They will be looking at building onto the achievement coming into the next campaign.
The action at “Stadium El Swampunu” saw Buffaloes secure a 14-3 victory over Impis to complete yet another season double against the Makerere side for the second season in a row.
Heathens also ended their season on a high with a dominant 65-13 win over Rams. The win means the 2022 league champions end the season in second place behind ultimate league winners, Pirates, and moving ahead of KOBs after the latter’s loss to the Sea Robbers.
Despite the other results, it was Pirates who were the standout team of the day and season as a whole. The now two-time champions finished with 79 points from 18 games, having won 17 and lost just one, proving their dominance on the final day with a dominant performance against KOBs.
The 2023 Nile Special Rugby Premier League season will go down in the history books as being one of, if not, the most exciting, most entertaining and most competitive league campaign. It provided some exceptional rugby and thrilling entertainment for the fans from day one, to the last.
