The Brown University (USA) Women's Rugby team raised over $90,000 for a 13 day tour of Uganda, East Africa from March 22 to April 3, 2006. Brown Women's Rugby team is the first non-African women's team to play in East Africa. The focus of the tour is the development of both Brown University's women's rugby and East African women's rugby.

This trip has taken thirty one Brown players, five Brown alumni, and two coaches to the Ugandan capital city, Kampala to play in a series of 15 aside matches and to conduct coaching clinics. The tour will end with an East African rugby tournament fielding women's teams from countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda and Brown University. These teams represent the growing interest in women's rugby in East Africa.

On Saturday 25th March was the big 15 aside match between Brown University A and the top local Uganda women's club side Kyadondo A (previously unbeaten and unscored upon). The match began at 5:00pm, to the sounds and sight of a traditional dance group and hundreds of cheering fans. Both sides played exceptionally well in a relatively close match. Both sides considered the match to be the most difficult in recent memory. Victory went to Kyadondo A, with a final score of 32 - 08.

The day's player of the match was the Kyadondo A first centre and captain, Christine Kizito. The Brown side was extremely excited about the outcome of the game considering the Ugandan team usually wins by about 100 points. The Ugandan players were thrilled at having kept their unbeaten record especially as this is the closest opposition they have had since women's rugby was introduced to Uganda 3 years ago. They were especially pleased to have added the scalp of an American side coached by the USA ladies backs coach, Candi Orsini, to their ever growing collection.

Mark Olweny, the Kyadondo A coach, although happy with the win thought his charges were slapdash during the match particularly at the lineouts and tackles, and still have a lot of areas in their game to work on. After the game the two teams shared a delicious Ugandan meal, several crates of beer and an evening filled with dancing and celebration.

The Brown B side took on the Kyadondo B side in a 15 aside match on Wednesday 29th and lost 12 - 07 in a very close encounter. Ayesha Nzeride of Brown University B was the player of the match.

All the teams are now geared for a 7's tournament to be held on April first at Kyadondo rugby grounds with teams from Brown university, Uganda (the reigning champions Thunderbirds, Rangers, Black Panthers, Amazons), Rwanda (Silverbacks), and Kenya (the runners up Mwamba Invaders). On Sunday, April 2nd, Brown University A will take on top Kenyan club side Mwamba Invaders in a 15 aside game.

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