Black Pirates of Uganda and Menengai Oilers face off in the scrum during a recent friendly match in Kampala/HANDOUT Ugandan clubs will return to the Enterprise Cup for the first time in over 20 years, entering at the quarter-final stage, scheduled for March 2026.
Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Director of Fixtures, Leslie Mwangale, confirmed that four Ugandan teams will participate, although their identities have yet to be determined.
“As of now, we don’t know the identity of the Ugandan teams until they play their matches, so we wait and see,” he said.
The Enterprise Cup, first contested in 1930, boasts a rich history of regional participation.
Ugandan and Tanzanian sides were once regular contenders, with the now-defunct Kampala RFC standing out as four-time champions after lifting the trophy in 1956, 1968, 1969 and 1970.
In the 2000s, Ugandan heavyweights Heathens, Kobs and Pirates also featured, with Kobs notably reaching the quarter-finals in 2008.
Mwangale said the KRU was keen to revive cross-border rivalry.
“It will be quite competitive to have the Ugandan teams facing our Kenyan clubs. We know at the national level there is good rivalry, but we want to take it back to the club level and improve the competition,” he noted.
Staging the Enterprise Cup during the Kenya Cup season has strengthened the competition, reducing the number of forfeitures that previously plagued the tournament when it was played at the tail end of the campaign.
“As the union, we decided to play in-season, and for the last two seasons, you have seen the clubs take it seriously and there have been no walkovers. We will continue with the same format for the next couple of years,” said Mwangale.
He revealed that KRU is seeking commercial partners. “We are in the market looking for a sponsor as well as a broadcast partner,” he said.
The 2025–26 Enterprise Cup kicks off with the round of 16 on December 13. The quarter-finals are set for February 7, while the cross-border quarterfinals involving Ugandan clubs will be held on March 21.
The semi-finals follow on April 11, with the final scheduled for May 23. Kabras are the defending champions, having held the trophy since 2022.
