Ivan Magomu talks big after winning Real Stars Award

Ivan Magomu ended the season as top scorer /Pulse Sports image

RUGBY Ivan Magomu talks big after winning Real Stars Award

Ndyamuhaki J Emanzi 13:27 - 06.06.2023

He scored 13 points in the game that decided the league as Pirates defeated Kobs 23-07 at Legends to end the season in celebration.

Stanbic Black Pirates captain Ivan Magomu was on Tuesday morning awarded as the Fortbet Real Stars Rugby Player of the Month of May.

The flyhalf beat off competition from teammates Moses Zziwa and Ivan Kabagambe to the award.

The award comes just a day after Pirates landed the Nile Special Sports Personality of the Month Award from the Uganda Sports Press Association.

Ivan Magomu shows off his Fortebet Real Stars Award on Tuesday morning /COURTESY PICTURE

The press also recognized pirates’ hooker Nathan Bwambale for the Assist Award on Monday.

Magomu’s was the first award after several nominations he got throughout the season, and the Rugby Cranes skipper was left excited upon receiving the award.

“It is a great feeling to see that you are being rewarded for your hard work,” Magomu said upon receiving the award at Lazio Bar.

“So many people don’t know what happens behind closed doors, very many fans just come, and you know, they expect you to turn up week in and week out not knowing the sacrifices sportsmen take.

“I have come a bit short on these awards; it’s the first. I have been nominated three or four times, but I’m really happy that finally, I have been recognized for my hard work.”

May marked the climax of the Nile Special Rugby Premier League season, and Magomu helped the Pirates clinch the trophy with stellar performances down the stretch.

He scored 13 points in the game that decided the league as Pirates defeated Kobs 23-07 at Legends to end the season in celebration.

More to come

By beating Heathens twice and dominating Kobs in a winner-takes-it-all affair to lift the title, Pirates sent a message to their challengers that this might be the start of something special.

And Magomu is confident the team can dominate Ugandan rugby in the coming seasons.

“We worked really hard. We have a very young and determined team, no one counted us for this season, but we came, and you know, we proved to the whole world that we have got young boys who are hungry to win and have mastered the art now.

“We had players like Sydney (Gongodyo), whom people didn’t know about, Zziwa (Moses) coming out of the blue and showing everyone what they can do.”

The victory over Kobs handed the Pirates only their second league title, but Magomu believes more is yet to come.

And the dream goes beyond winning titles and stretches to having the strongest club in the country with the most robust structures.

“We have a lot in stock.

“I believe we have the best structure. I believe we have the best coach. I believe we have the best pitch and environment to make us dominate Ugandan rugby.

“Our dreams are way too far. We want to make Pirates a model club.

“We want to make Pirates to be like Leinster. Leinster is literally Ireland. What Ireland plays is what Leinster plays.

“That is the kind of model we want to have at Pirates. Pirates is Leinster of Uganda.

“More national team players, game plan, to be able to beat the Uganda Rugby Cranes in the future, you have to be able to study how Pirates plays, that is the dream. It’s really big, but it is achievable.”

When next season kicks off, the Pirates’ first task will be to defend the league title for the first time in their history.