Kings Park Arena has witnessed some of the biggest moments in Stanbic Black Pirates’ rise but few occasions will carry the emotional weight of this Saturday’s semifinal against Heathens.
Less than two weeks ago, it was the last place their late Sydney Gongodyo’s teammates, friends and supporters gathered around him before his final journey home.
Now they return seeking a place in the 2026 Uganda Rugby Premiership final as they navigate the difficult space between remembrance and competition.
The first leg played at Kyadondo a week ago told its own story. Before kickoff, players and supporters observed a moment of silence for Gongodyo and that is expected at Kings’ Park as well.
What followed was a tense, disciplined contest rather than an expansive spectacle. William Nkore opened the scoring with a penalty before Eric Mulamula crossed for an unconverted try to give Pirates an 8-0 lead lead.
Heathens responded through a Matthew Musasizi’s penalty to narrow the gap to 8-3 but Pirates struck decisively late on when Alex Aturinda finished off a move for their second try. Nkore added the conversion to pause it at 15-3 heading into the return leg.
Pirates’ defence coach Martin Karugonjo described the victory as ‘bittersweet.’
‘We won it, yes, but we would have much preferred for our brother [Gongodyo] to be here with us,’ he told Fatcats podcast after the game.
Karugonjo also defended the decision to deploy club captain Isaac Masanga-Zira at blindside flank, describing it as a deliberate attempt to utilize a modern hybrid forward capable of influencing multiple phases of play.
‘The biggest thing for us will be our execution, getting the fundamentals right and not being as profligate as we were.’
Rookies on trial
Heathens coach Tolbert Onyango had no complaints about the result. Instead, he pointed to costly mistakes in key moments.
‘There are a couple of own goals, mistakes that we made, plenty, especially around the kill zone,’ Onyango admitted, lamenting a stop-start rhythm that repeatedly disrupted his side’s momentum.
His team selection also raised eyebrows as he left a number of senior stars like Aaron Ofoyrwoth who were available after the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens campaign was cancelled due to the Ebola outbreak.
Onyango nevertheless resisted the temptation to recall them, instead placing his faith in a development core he has worked with over the past three weeks.
‘It has not happened today but surely it is going to come one day, maybe in the second leg,’ he remarked with a tinge of a smile.
If Heathens are to prove him right, they must do something few teams have managed in recent years: beat Pirates at Kings Park.
Pirates have not lost a competitive fifteen-a-side fixture at the venue since 2023. Recent history between the two sides offers little encouragement for the visitors either.
According to Isa Metrics, Pirates and Heathens have met six times in fifteens rugby since January 2025, with Pirates winning five of those encounters.
That edge, however, sits within a rivalry that has defined an era of Ugandan rugby. Since 2017, the Premiership title has rarely left the orbit of these two clubs, with only Kobs’ Covid-disrupted triumph in 2021 interrupting their dominance.
Their meeting on Saturday will also be the 15th fifteens clash between them since 2021, making it the most-played fixture in Ugandan rugby over that period. But for all, this season has already shown how little separates them.
Earlier in the season, Heathens beat Pirates 30-26 at Kyadondo.
If Pirates win this Saturday, they will have the privilege of hosting whereas if Heathens overturn the scores, they will be guests to Buffaloes at Kyadondo.