UBL partners to promote rugby at grassroots

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Breweries Limited-UBL has committed to a three partnership with three top flight rugby football clubs in what they termed as “fun rugby fetes,” in a bid to promote the sport within grassroots communities.

The three-year renewable partnership was unveiled during the fun rugby event held at the Jinja city-based rugby grounds on Friday.  Kobs RFC, Rhinos RFC and Warriors RFC will benefit from the partnership.

The beneficiary clubs will receive a collective annual sum of 400 Million Shillings worth of sponsorships to facilitate regional rugby tournaments geared towards rallying grassroots communities to embrace the rugby sport.

The sponsorship involves the purchase of Jerseys, balls, shoes, and refreshments and the facilitation of players’ allowances in the course of these countrywide rugby tours.

UBL’s head of beer, Matilda Babuleka said that fun rugby fetes will be sponsored under their Guinness brand whose main cooperate social responsibility is geared towards talent promotion across the country.

Babuleka says that, through their running theme of “black shines brightest,” their partnership will result in identifying mentors, who will in turn mobilize young talented players into the sport.

Meanwhile, Shem Ssenyonga, a director at Rhinos RFC says that, the sponsorship will help to boost the club with running expenses.

Ssenyonga says that the move of mobilizing grassroots communities to embrace the sport, will in turn result in an increased fan base, which will bolster the club’s earnings through gate collections and purchase of the club’s replica items.

Janet Mwebaza, a rugby fan says that this move will lead to the popularization of the sport in the rural communities, where the sport is normally referred to as a sport of the corporate urban dwellers.

Mwebaza adds that rugby is the fastest-growing sport across the world and it is imperative for the population to popularize the sport as a future income earner for the ever-increasing youths on international stages.

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