Walukuba Barbarians will have to count themselves very lucky after receiving a simple warning and reprimand for walking away from a game.
The Barbarians walked off the pitch in the 69th minute of the 2nd Leg of the Uganda Rugby Premiership Playoff Quarterfinals against the Black Pirates at Kings Park Arena on April 12.
The game was played amidst a mild downpour and was abandoned by the Barbarians, citing poor officiating from referee Gonzalo Mayanja, with the score at 36-06 in favour of Pirates.
A scuffle ensued in the second half, after which Haruna Muhammad of the Pirates and Ahmed Ssekyanzi of the Barbarians were shown yellow cards, a decision that didn’t sit well with the boys from the east, prompting their refusal to take to the pitch again.
This embarrassing scene, which the Uganda Rugby Union (URU) admits brought disrepute to the game, has now set a dangerous precedent, with the URU admitting that they have a gap in the regulations to provide for such a scenario.
However, this is no excuse for the governing body to abscond from its duty of regulating the game of rugby in Uganda. Citing a World Rugby regulation, a provision from the global governing body of the sport, was a move in the right direction, but the URU simply chose not to go all the way, making a turn at the next most convenient exit.
In exercising their discretion, the disciplinary committee didn’t take into account the players, match officials, sponsors and fans who expect the highest level of integrity and sportsmanship.
The mental health of everyone involved in the sport is paramount and non-negotiable, but when we start to pick and choose whose mental wellbeing supersedes the others’ when making decisions, then we miss the mark on the values of the sport; integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect.
Admitting that there are several gaps and loopholes within the laws and regulations isn’t enough, an opportunity to decisively fill and seal them fell to our lap and we fumbled.
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