Elgon Wolves vow to return stronger after relegation in 7s and 15s

Elgon Wolves have enjoyed two memorable seasons in the National 7s Series and one season in the 15s championship, but that fairytale came to an end over the weekend at Buffaloes 7s.

The men from Mbale were hanging on by a thread when they went into the Kabale 7s desperate to put on a good show and close the gap on the Eagles, but that wasn’t to be. In that desperation, the Wolves ended up using an ineligible player, Michael Ochieng, who had featured for the Kenya Harlequins in the Kenya 7s.

This player, the National 7s Committee claims, was misrepresented under a different name, hence docking the Wolves the 10 points they had attained at the Kabale 7s. This meant that the Wolves were now 15 points behind the Eagles, and only a miracle at Kyadondo would save them.

For Salim Katumba, the Captain of the Elgon Wolves, this setback has come as a blessing in disguise.  “We are going back to the drawing board after the relegation. We are starting with the Uganda Cup, which is where our focus is. Then we build up to the regionals. Trust me, we are coming back, you shall only miss us for one year,” he noted.

One of the biggest challenges the Wolves faced last season was the lack of numbers, a situation that was only exacerbated by limited funds. At one point in the 15s season, the whole Wolves team fit into a taxi made available by a well-wisher, and travelled to play against the Rhinos with only 14 players. Needless to say they lost 55-10. To prevent a recurrence, Katumba notes, “We are now going to start dealing with the agegrade and the youth, going back to schools to recruit players and come back stronger.”

Looking forward to the seasons ahead, James Noah Wonyigi, the club media officer and player, emphasized the need to increase the number of their playing staff in the 15s and 7s.

In addition to this, he has urged his teammates to stay united. “Of course when there is a problem, we do not separate and disperse. The first thing we are going to do is to keep our boys together. We are going to train harder, you know Wolves are always stronger together,” he noted.