Ugandan rugby icon Michael Wokorach, commonly known as ‘Gonya’, is officially retiring from professional rugby today, 20th December, 2025, ending an extraordinary 19-year career that helped define the modern era of the sport in Uganda.
Wokorach’s farewell marks the end of one of the most decorated and enduring careers in Ugandan rugby history.
For 18 of those 19 years, he was synonymous with Heathens Rugby Football Club, where his consistency, leadership, and competitive edge made him a key part of the club’s dominance.
Even in the twilight of his career, Wokorach’s influence on the field remained unmistakable.
During the 2025 domestic season, he scored 13 tries across the Rugby Premiership and Uganda Cup, underlining a level of performance and fitness rarely sustained over such a long playing career.
His achievements speak to both longevity and excellence. At club level, Wokorach boasts a formidable trophy cabinet, having won 11 Rugby Premiership titles and seven Uganda Cups, placing him among the most successful players in local rugby history.
On the international stage, Wokorach’s impact was equally profound.
He earned 54 caps with the Rugby Cranes XVs and was a key player of the Uganda Sevens side for 14 years.
Wokorach helped Uganda clinch three Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens titles in 2016, 2017, and 2022, and represented the country at two Rugby Sevens World Cups, famously winning the Bowl Championship at the 2022 edition.
His international résumé also includes appearances at four Commonwealth Games between 2010 and 2022, further cementing his status as one of Uganda’s most reliable and accomplished rugby ambassadors.
Individually, Wokorach’s excellence did not go unnoticed. He was named Uganda Rugby Union Most Valuable Player twice, in 2013 and 2015, and claimed the prestigious Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) Sportsman of the Year award in the same years.
The Ministry of Education and Sports, under which sports development falls, recently highlighted Wokorach’s career in an official feature, praising his influence ‘both on and off the pitch’ and acknowledging his role in shaping player professionalism and discipline within the sport.
Wokorach’s final appearance is expected to be a historic moment for Uganda’s sporting community, a celebration of leadership, resilience, and sustained excellence.
As he steps away from competitive rugby, he leaves behind a legacy that has inspired a generation and firmly etched his name into the foundations of Ugandan rugby’s modern success.
