AUUS Games 2025: Eight Universities Remain as Netball Championship Shifts to Quarter-Finals
By Kayiira Jackson
The Netball Championship at the 2025 Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS) Games has entered its most decisive phase, with the quarter-finals now set following a pulsating group-stage campaign at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mukono.
After three days of high-tempo action, eight universities remain in contention for the coveted title, as the competition shifts from group stage endurance to knockout drama, where every pass, interception and goal could define the season.
Kampala University emerged as one of the standout performers of the group stages, finishing top of Group B with a flawless record. The Ggaba-based side won all three of their matches, posting an imposing 156 goals while conceding just 43 — statistics that underlined their attacking firepower and defensive discipline. Their reward is a morning quarter-final clash against Bugema University, who qualified as the second-placed team after collecting four points despite a narrow defeat to Group C leaders UCU.
Bugema’s resilience will be tested early, but their ability to stay competitive against elite opposition has earned them a place among the last eight, setting the stage for what promises to be a tightly contested encounter.
Elsewhere, Group A winners Nkumba University will lock horns with Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in another early throw off. Nkumba were among the most efficient scoring teams during the group stages, netting 102 goals to finish as the third-highest scorers overall. Their consistency and tactical organisation will be put to the test by a determined MUBS side seeking to upset the group leaders.
The later quarter-final fixtures are no less intriguing. Defending champions Victoria University, who finished second in Group A, face Makerere University in a clash that pits experience against ambition. Makerere progressed as one of the best third-placed teams and will be eager to topple the holders as they chase a deep run in the tournament.
Hosts Uganda Christian University, who topped Group C in emphatic fashion, will round off the quarter-finals against St. Lawrence University. UCU were among the most dominant sides in the group stages, winning all three matches and amassing 140 goals while conceding only 40 — a record that marks them as serious title contenders. St. Lawrence, however, arrive with nothing to lose and the belief that knockout football can overturn any form book.
With the championship, which tipped off on December 18, scheduled to climax on Tuesday, December 23, anticipation continues to build at UCU as the AUUS Netball Games edge closer to crowning a new champion — or witnessing the successful defence of a title. For now, the focus shifts to the quarter-finals, where dreams will either be kept alive or brought to an abrupt end.