Top 5 breakthrough players of the 2026 Rugby Premiership season

The 2026 Rugby Premiership season introduced several promising talents on the rugby scene, but the players on this list surpassed their peers.

These players have either been below the radar or this has been their rookie season in the premiership, but one thing is for sure: they have come of age and taken the league by storm.

The common factors amongst them are age, experience and establishing themselves in their respective clubs with prospects of the national team on the horizon.

Hussein Shein (Buffaloes, Scrumhalf)

Hussein is a player who almost made it to this list last season, but he was largely overshadowed by the experienced Arnold Musaazi at Buffaloes.

This season, Hussein has been at the heart of everything Buffaloes as the Kyadondo side made the long run to the final since 2013.

He has been tactfully started on the bench in a season where the Buffaloes were described as a second-half team for their exploits after the 20th minute.

Shaine Josephine Babirye (Nile Rapids, Scrumhalf)

2026 has been Shaine’s year. Her team, the Nile Rapids, came off the backdrop of winning the
Uganda Cup at the tail end of 2025, to challenging until the final day of the women’s
premiership, but falling to the Thunderbirds.

Babirye is a versatile player who has run out in various positions at her club, but she has since owned the No. 9 shirt.

During that incredible season, Babirye got the opportunity to be called up to the Lady Cranes 15s training squad, and she ultimately made the cut, representing Uganda at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup 2026.

Darren Aine (Impis, Fullback/Winger)

The buzz around Aine started while he was still a schoolboy at St. Mary’s College, Kisubi
(SMACK) where he played rugby and football as a goalkeeper.

He then joined Impis in the championship, where he made his mark on senior rugby as a safe pair of hands, a deep attacking threat and a reliable goalkicker.

Aine has seamlessly carried these qualities to the premiership, where he was part of the team that reached the semifinal, despite playing a few games at wing, away from his preferred fullback position.

Proscovia Mukyala (Thunderbirds, Lock)

Mukyala is a proud product of the program at Buddu Rugby. Together with a few other players,
Mukyala made the big leap to premiership rugby last season by leaving Masaka to join the
Thunderbirds, a move that has paid off.

She made her national team debut with the Lady Cranes 15s last year in San Pedro, Ivory Coast and then in Madagascar at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, but this year she proved to be an irreplaceable piece for club and country.

Joshua Kafugankande (Heathens, Lock)

Kafugankande’s rise to becoming a first-team mainstay hasn’t been very smooth. He earned his stripes playing for the Stallions and the Heathens 2, with a few cameos in the senior team as cover for Charles Uhuru and Simon ‘Diego’ Olet.

Last season, he established himself as the go-to lock for the Heathens, but it’s his partnership this season with newly signed Julius Opio that has pointed to a rebuild at Kyadondo.

Whereas Kafugankande is fairly fast for a forward, he hasn’t fully unlocked his attacking abilities. However, he makes up for this with relentless defence and tackles that stick, in addition to being a line-out menace for the opponents.

Honourable Mentions: Edgar Akimanzi (Impis), Marvin Asaba (Heathens), Leonard Ndiku
(Buffaloes), Jemimah Namukose (Nile Rapids), Walter Otim (Heathens), Terry Nuwagaba
(Impis).

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