Four months later, Hippos yet to receive National 7s prize money

Jinja Hippos players have been left with no further options rather to publicly demand the club’s prize money for winning the 2022 Nile Special Rugby Sevens.

The Hippos punched above their weight to emerge overall winners after the seven circuits on November 17th last year. They won the Kyabazinga circuit hosted in Bugembe along the way.

However, four months later, the Uganda Rugby Union is yet to come good on their promise to transfer the winner’s prize money. 

Hippos captain for the sevens, Aziz Bagalana tweeted what he says is pressure from the players waiting for their dues.

One Hippos official confirmed that they had promised the players a share of the money as part of their winning bonus.

“As The Hippos sevens captain my fellow players are putting me under pressure requesting for our sevens cash prize,” Bagalana tweeted seeking answers from the Union: “Is there any response from Uganda Rugby?”

Pulse Sports reached URU’s chief executive officer Isaac Lutwaama via phone but he offered no concrete response.

“I can’t comment about that here [on phone],” Lutwaama answered.

Unclear reasons

This comes barely ten months since URU and Nile Special unveiled a shs9.8 billion sponsorship package for eleven of their products. The National 7s League was apportioned shs2.15 billion spread over four seasons with the beer brand as the official title sponsor.

A source in the URU circles revealed that only shs8 million was set aside as the prize money. The winners from each of the seven circuits took shs500,000. That left about shs.4.5 million which the Hippos were promised.