For the first time in 30 years, the iconic Black Rocks RFC(Ireland) will return to East Africa to face a Ugandan All-Star team in a historic exhibition match on August 16th, 2025.
The Irish BlackRock RFC last played in East Africa in 1971. This tour marks their first return to East Africa and particularly to Uganda since that time.
Let’s get to know the Visitors: BlackRocks RFC was founded in 1882. The Blackrock College RFC has produced Irish rugby legends like Brian O’Driscoll, and current stars like Hugo Keenan. Competing in Ireland’s Leinster League Division 2, the club brings a mix of seasoned veterans and emerging talent.
BlackRock College RFC Tour Manager, John Colcloug, confirmed the tour would support three key projects: the Spire School for blind children in Jinja, Hospice Africa Uganda (through Irish Embassy linkages), and Nurture Africa’s Nansana outreach. Colclough praised Irish coordinators for their decade of Uganda-Ireland sports development work, and thanked Saidi Atibu for local arrangements here in Uganda.
“Beyond rugby, this tour’s purpose is giving back,” Colclough stated, noting the players’ eagerness to contribute to underprivileged communities. The manager emphasized the tour’s legacy potential, hoping future Blackrock teams would follow their model of sporting-cultural exchange. “We’re temporary custodians of this jersey; our duty is to honour it through service,” he concluded, anticipating lifelong memories for all participants.
Saidi Atibu, the chief organizer of the Irish Blackrock’s Tour in Uganda, clarified the selection criteria for the Uganda All-Stars team during a social media exchange on X (formerly Twitter), “It’s an All-Star team with a mix of young stars and All-time Uganda Stars for Uganda. Also, selection was based on the availability of players, clearance from Clubs, and injury status.”
He also stated in an interview that, “Black Rocks is coming here for 9 days, and they will be arriving on Thursday 14th August, 2025. Then we’ll have a Captain’s Run plus a Presser on Friday, and the game will happen on Saturday. They were last here in 1971 to play an East Africa Select team, which had only one Ugandan selected to play on the team. We decided to have sports tourism experiences in Uganda and Blackrock was so happy to be part of this opportunity. The engagement started in 2016 and they were supposed to come in 2020, but we had a lockdown because of Covid. We then resumed our engagement after Covid and they confirmed last year. This is a club that has been following Uganda Rugby and even tried to sign Ugandan Rugby Star, Philip Wokorach. They are very happy to come and see the steps Ugandan Rugby has taken and they are very happy to play with Ugandans and see what we have to put out there.”
This match marks the first All-Stars assembly in nearly a decade, reigniting a tradition of showcasing Uganda’s best across generations. The Uganda All-Stars Team will be coached by Kevin Makmot and captained by Michael Wokorach.
The All-Stars squad blends experience and youth. Uganda’s All-Stars selectors had included several notable names in their squad to face Blackrock College RFC. The selection also provided opportunities for promising young talents like Bave Okumu and Dennis Ofoyrwoth from Kakira Simbas, along with Ethan Mugabi of Makerere Impis, to test themselves at this higher level of competition.
In the backs, experienced players like Robin Odrua, Haruna Muhammad, and Bob Kawandawere were included, while the forward pack featured KOBs RFC’s Andrew Odhiambo and Simon Makumbi, alongside Allan Olango. Organizers noted that while these players had already demonstrated their abilities for their respective clubs, with many having represented the national team, this match would offer Blackrock College RFC their first real taste of Ugandan rugby’s quality, both in terms of on-field play and the country’s distinctive rugby culture.
This match isn’t just a game; it’s a celebration of rugby’s growth in Uganda and a nod to its rich history. Don’t miss it!
Gates open at 1:00 PM EAT and Tickets at only UGX 10,000 (ordinary), UGX 50,000 (VIP)