The 2026 Uganda Rugby 7s Series gets underway this weekend with the Stone City 7s at Ruck Yard Sports Club, as Nile Special renews its support for one of the country's premier rugby competitions.
The new season will feature 12 core men's teams and eight core women's teams competing across six tournaments around the country before culminating in the Kabaka Coronation 7s Grand Finale at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku, in September.
Running under the theme "Tukikube. Every Stop.", the 2026 Series aims to take rugby beyond Kampala while creating more opportunities for players, clubs and fans to engage with the sport.
The six-stop circuit will travel through Kampala, Kyadondo, Gulu and Bugembe before returning to Kampala for the season finale.
For Nile Special, the sponsorship continues the brand's longstanding partnership with Ugandan rugby and its commitment to growing the sport by bringing fans together around memorable matchday experiences.
Speaking ahead of the opening weekend, Nile Special Brand Manager Eric Malinga said the partnership extends beyond the action on the pitch to supporting the vibrant fan culture that has become synonymous with Ugandan rugby.
"Nile Special has always stood for the spirit of togetherness that brings Ugandans to their feet, and there is no better stage for that than the Uganda Rugby 7s Series. Tukikube—we're proud to do this alongside every host, player and fan this season," Malinga said.
The season opens with the Stone City 7s, hosted by Hippos RFC at Ruck Yard Sports Club on July 24–25. The tournament will feature Friday evening matches under floodlights before action resumes on Saturday, building up to the men's final at 5:00 p.m.
Following the opening round, the Series will move to the Rujumba 7s at King's Park Arena on August 1–2, the Kyadondo 7s at Kyadondo Rugby Grounds on August 22–23, the Lawirwodi 7s in Gulu on August 29–30, and the Kyabazinga 7s in Bugembe on September 12–13.
The season will conclude with the Kabaka Coronation 7s at Muteesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku, on September 19–20 in partnership with the Buganda Kingdom.
One of the major highlights of this year's calendar is the introduction of the Lawirwodi 7s in Gulu, underscoring Uganda Rugby's commitment to expanding the sport beyond the central region and strengthening competition nationwide.
Desire Derekford Mugumisa, Chairman of the Uganda Rugby Sevens Organising Committee, said the 2026 format reflects the union's ambition to make competitive rugby more accessible across the country.
"Tukikube. Every Stop. speaks to what we want this season to represent: opportunity, competition and growth at every level. Every club in Uganda now has an earned route to the top. With the Pathway Series feeding promotion into the national championship, nobody's place is given and nobody's ceiling is fixed. That is how a sport grows," Mugumisa said.
The 2026 season also introduces significant structural reforms aimed at strengthening the pathway into elite domestic rugby.
The women's core competition has expanded from six to eight teams, providing more playing opportunities and a broader competitive platform for women's rugby.
In addition, invitational teams at individual tournaments have been replaced by the new Uganda Rugby 7s Pathway Series—a nationwide regional competition in which each of Uganda's four regions will host four qualifying tournaments followed by two Promotional Series events.
At the end of the season, the bottom two men's and women's teams in the national Series will be relegated and replaced by the top two teams from the Promotional Series, creating a clear merit-based pathway for emerging clubs to earn promotion into Uganda's top-tier Rugby 7s competition.