Kobs were in no mood to exchange pleasantries and even declined media duties after the game.
There have been close wins and losses between Heathens and Kobs over the years.
But however heartbreaking the result is, rugby games in Uganda usually end with a handshake between the two opposing sides.
There was no such thing at Kyadondo Rugby Grounds Saturday afternoon as Kobs walked away to the extreme corner upon referee Ronald Wutimba’s final whistle to confirm a 19-12 victory for the Heathens.
The visitors were in no mood to exchange pleasantries and even declined media duties.
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With scores tied at 12-all, Heathens visited the Kobs 22 and were awarded a penalty after winger Mark Osuna was adjudged to have ripped the ball out of Santos Ssenteza’s hands after he had hit the deck.
Video clips, however, show that the ball was ripped before a ruck was formed.
Kobs players protested the call and forced the match officials into lengthy deliberations that yielded no results.
Wutimba urged the Kobs players to retreat to the line and allow Heathens to take the penalty, but his commands fell on deaf ears as the players in blue stood their ground.
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The referee then went under the posts to indicate a penalty try for the hosts and blew the final whistle to send Heathens players and fans into wild celebrations while Kobs walked off in disbelief.
There were scuffles between the two camps’ fans, but these were subdued, and normalcy returned.
Kobs left the grounds dissatisfied and angry, accusing the referee of denying them several penalties deep in the Heathens’ half and gifting the hosts what would have been the winning penalty right in front of the posts.
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16:07 - 01.04.2023
RUGBY Heathens defeat Kobs in chaotic encounter to go top of the league
Referee Ronald Wutimba was forced to award a penalty try against Kobs and end the Nile Special Premier League clash with Platinum Credit Heathens.
It remains to be seen what action the Uganda Rugby Union will take after the debacle.
The first-round clash between the two sides also ended with Kobs complaining about several calls made by referee Rosenburg Kanyunyuzi.
Then, the referee and her team failed to spot Charles Uhuru’s dangerous play against Adrian Kasito off the ball.
Uhuru escaped a possible red card but was eventually banned for 15 weeks by the Union after a review of video evidence.
Saturday’s loss pushed Kobs out of the top two.
Heathens are now in pole position in the title race, while Pirates moved to second with a 27-22 win over Jinja Hippos.
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