Heathens’ Journey to the 2024 Rugby Championship Final
Platinum Credit Heathens will play the 2024 Nile Special Rugby Men’s Championship at home against Stanbic Black Pirates, having won ten matches, drawn one, and lost none in the regular season. The post Heathens’ Journey to the 2024 Rugby Championship Final appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
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Platinum Credit Heathens will play the 2024 Nile Special Rugby Men’s Championship at home. They will face Stanbic Black Pirates at Kyadondo Rugby Club on Saturday evening.
Heathens are, by far, the favourites. They were unbeaten and topped the table in the regular season.
This is the timeline of their journey to the championship final; through the regular season and the championship playoffs.
Regular Season
Heathens played eleven matches (five home, six away) in the regular season. They won ten with five bonus points, drew one, and lost none.
- Round One (February 3): Heathens 16-12 Pirates
Just from winning the 2023 Uganda Cup, Heathens began their season with victory over rivals Black Pirates which outlined their ambitions to reclaim the crown in local XVs rugby.
- Round Two (February 10): Heathens 39-00 Warriors
Heathens registered their first bonus point victory by beating recently-promoted Warriors with a clean sheet.
- Round Three (February 17): Hippos 20-20 Heathens
Hippos’ Yasin Wasswa missed a retaken conversion in the last play for Heathens to settle for a draw in their first away match of the season. This would be the only match that Heathens did not win.
- Round Four (February 24): Mongers 17-36 Heathens
Playing away from home did not get any easier for Heathens as they had to battle a motivated Mongers side in Entebbe.
- Round Five (March 2): Heathens 70-06 Rams
Heathens returned home to Kyadondo and registered the championship’s biggest winning margin against Rams. After this result, they climbed to the top of the table and did not give up the spot from thereon.
- Round Six (March 9): Walukuba 17-21 Heathens
The now-table leaders snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in Walukuba. Heathens needed a try in the last play to maintain their unbeaten run.
- Round Seven (March 16): Heathens 26-12 Rhinos
Apart from Heathens, the other team who spent a week on the top of the table was Rhinos. But by the time the two met, Rhinos was rapidly sliding down the standings and became easy pickings for Heathens at Kyadondo.
- Round Eight (March 23): KOBs 13-25 Heathens
Heathens overcame extended pressure from KOBs to cling to the top spot in their last away match of the regular season at Legends. But the match lacked the oomph expected of the biggest rugby rivalry in Uganda.
- Round Nine (April 6): Heathens 36-00 Eagles
The second clean sheet for Heathens in the regular season was against Eagles, the other recently promoted team.
- Round Ten (April 13): Heathens 67-10 Impis
This is the match when Heathens confirmed their position as the #1 ranked team in the regular season’s standings. They scored ten tries against Impis who didn’t put up much of a fight.
- Round Eleven (April 20): Buffaloes 18-27 Heathens
Heathens closed their regular season campaign with a victory against Buffaloes. Despite Buffaloes’ attempts, Heathens remained the dominant side in the Kyadondo Derby.
Championship Playoffs
- Quarterfinals: Heathens 53-16 Walukuba
A 25-00 victory at home in the first round gave Heathens the upper hand against eighth-ranked Walukuba. They followed it up with a 28-16 victory on their return to the Abel Dhaira Memorial Stadium.
- Semifinals: Heathens 42-36 KOBs
Like at the quarterfinals, winning the first round at Legends by 29-18 put Heathens one step ahead of KOBs. Although they then suffered their first defeat of the season (by 18-13) in the second round at home the following weekend, it was not enough to stop their progress.
Winning the Championship Final means that Heathens will have won both XVs titles in the 2024 Uganda Rugby Union season, after the Uganda Cup.
The post Heathens’ Journey to the 2024 Rugby Championship Final appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
