Black Pearls defy odds to lift Buffaloes 7s title

For a long time, the Black Pearls dominated the National 7s Series, winning the title in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Players from the Black Pearls consistently featured for the National 7s team, playing in international tournaments like the World Rugby Challenger Series, the Rugby Africa Women’s 7s and the Safari 7s. Stars like Ritta Nadunga, Emily Lekuru and Grace Auma made the Black Pearls and the National 7s team a joy to watch, and yet in the 2025 series, they weren’t available for selection.

This lack of personnel was almost going to prove costly for the black Pearls, but the players that they currently have at their disposal played a pivotal role in their 3rd-place finish in the National 7s series.

After the Coronation 7s, players like Racheal Mufuwa and Lydia Namabiro returned to the squad, while Suzan Adong, Bushira Namutebi and Charlotte Mudoola were an ever-present force to reckon with in the Pearl’s team. Occasionally, they had to rely on players like Sharifah Kobusingye and Hellen Acanit, who are more 15s-coded, but got the job done when called upon in the 7s variation of the game.

The Rujumba 7s coincided with the school holiday and this gave the Pearls a chance to use some of their players who are still in development. This yielded a trophy, making the Pearls the fourth different side to win a National 7s circuit in as many circuits.

Disaster struck once again at the Kabale 7s where the Pearls were once again understaffed, with the absence of Charlotte Mudoola. In stepped the legendary Koyokoyo Buteme, who is the founder and coach of the Black Pearls. She once again laced her boots and donned her now action-ready headgear to play at the Buffaloes 7s.

At the Buffaloes 7s, the Black Pearls presented a 9-person team, despite the regulations providing for up to 12 slots, with an additional slot for medical emergencies. This did not hinder the Black Pearls, who found themselves in a fierce Pool A alongside the Thunderbirds, Avengers and Ewes, who are all equally incredibly physical.

Player of the tournament, Lydia Namabiro, came up with two crucial tries for the Black Pearls. First, she scored the try that broke the spirits of the Walukuba Titans who had held on in the semifinal. With the final deadlocked at 00-00 after the full time, Namabiro once again came up with a clutch moment late in the second half of extra time. This single try was the difference as the Black Pearls lifted the Buffaloes 7s trophy at Kyadondo.