By Agatha N Biira
Conrad Wanyama picked up an interest in rugby in 2008, when he was in primary seven at St. Savio Junior School, Kisubi. At the time, he was the captain of the football team. They would peep into St. Mary’s College Kisubi, also known as SMACK, before the school’s wall fence was built and watch the students play rugby.
One day, they decided to imitate what they had seen the older boys doing. “We didn’t know the basics of the game.” The tackles were kicks. You would jump, kick your friend, and make sure they fell. “We never played the game again because everyone was in pain after,” Wanyama narrated.
He fell in love with rugby when his brother, Kevin Wanyama, joined SMACK. “He was sharing stories about how fancy the game was and how much respect you get when you play it,” he said. His brother taught him how to tackle. He was amazed by how he was being carried and put down. As painful as it was, he enjoyed every bit of it.
Growing up, he played badminton against his brother, to whom he says he never lost a game except for days where they played chess. “I would cry whenever I lost,” Wanyama said. Now playing for Stanbic Black Pirates and Uganda Rugby Cranes, he says he has been very generous with his tears. “Every final I have lost, I don’t think I have kept my tears to myself.”
In 2009, while in senior one at Namilyango College, he played his first soccer game against senior two students, whom they lost to. The final blow came when he decided to be a goalkeeper. “I was short. So, they would kick the balls above me and score. “I got so bitter,” he said in a huff, as if reliving the pain he felt in that moment.
After the game, he saw other students “getting a ball and running around.” Out of frustration, he removed his sandals and joined them. “I got the ball, started running, and people were falling.” “I did it again and got my revenge on the senior two students,” he said with a smile. “I realized I could dominate there. “I became good at the game, and now it is my sport.”
While at Namilyango College, he played for the school team, where he represented East Africa at the national level in 2011 at Ntare School and in 2012 in Burundi.
In 2013, Wanyama joined London College of St. Lawrence on a fully paid sports scholarship (rugby), where he says he played the most beautiful rugby. He was confident and expressed himself fully. “I want to play like I did then or even better.” “I am still building the confidence for it,” he said.
He started playing for Stanbic Black Pirates in his senior six vacation (2014), which he has been part of to date. When he joined Uganda Christian University (UCU) in 2015 for a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration, Wanyama became part of the university team. In 2017, he played for UCU, where they won the Inter-University 7s.
In 2018, he joined the Uganda Rugby Cranes team. In 2019, he played his first World Cup qualifier against the Namibia team in Namibia. “We lost to Namibia 55-3. “Since I was new to the fall, I swore to myself that I would take Uganda places,” Wanyama said. In 2022, they represented Uganda at the World Cup qualifiers in France.
Besides remuneration and opposition fans, for him, opposition from his parents has been a great challenge. “I believe I would have been way ahead in this game if it wasn’t for that.” “If you called your parents after winning a tournament and they didn’t seem happy for you, it can be a challenge,” he said. “They are my small village, and they are supposed to support me even before the outside world.” Nevertheless, he says he is building a legacy.
Kevin Wanyama’s elder brother admires his relentless pursuit of the sport despite opposition from the family. “Conrad has devoted himself entirely to the sport.” The family has not been very supportive of his career. Sometimes they say he should get a job out of town, but that would mean not playing, which I don’t think he can do. “I am proud of him, for he is a success,” he said.
Through rugby, he has been able to build social capital, travel, and get job opportunities. He applauds UCU and the sports management for the support rendered to him during his days there. “The meal card they gave me helped me so much. “When I couldn’t afford meals, it saw me through,” he said. “I am strong today because UCU let me go to the gym in my early days.”
One of his teammates, Alex Aturinda, describes him as a small man with a big heart. “He is a very strong player and very daring.” Even someone who is three times his size will want to take him on. Surprisingly, most of the time, he has had success with the big guys, and I think that is what has made him known in rugby circles,” he said.
Wanyama plans on playing professional rugby in the future. “It is easier to create a legacy that way and also make more money. I am looking at getting agents who can link me to good rugby clubs out there. Maybe I can also be like Philip Wokorach,” he said.
