For Eddy Wambugu, getting back on a rugby pitch was not always a certainty.There was a time when the Daystar Falcons halfback could not picture himself returning to the game he loved.An injury that began as a problem in his right wrist during the 2025 Dala 7s in September had gradually become something much bigger; physically, mentally and emotionally draining.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsHe kept playing through the 15s season after sustaining the injury, hoping he could manage the pain.But eventually, his wrist could not allow him to carry on.“The injury got worse, and I decided to focus on recovering because getting better was more important than playing,” Wambugu recalled.##NAJAVA_MECA_922053##What followed was a long recovery period that tested his patience and, at one point, his belief that he still had a future in rugby.“Recovery has taken time. There was a point where I felt like I could not come back to rugby. I even wanted to stop playing and focus on other things,” he said.For a player accustomed to the rhythm of training, competition and the environment of a team, being forced to watch from the sidelines can be difficult.Wambugu admitted that the uncertainty of not knowing whether his body would allow him to return made the period even harder.Paul Mutsami highlights stark difference between Kenyan and Ugandan rugbyThere were moments when giving up seemed easier.“I almost gave up,” he admitted.But just when doubt began to take over, his parents became his biggest source of encouragement.“They reminded me that I could still come back and encouraged me to keep working,” he said.Their support helped Wambugu keep going, even when the road back appeared longer than he had expected.Eventually, the work paid off.Wambugu returned to action at the Kabeberi 7s, marking his comeback after months away from the game.It was not simply a return to competition; it was a personal victory for a player who had spent months wondering whether he would ever experience that feeling again.He played a key role as Daystar Falcons defeated Kabras RFC in the fifth-place playoff before losing to hosts Mwamba RFC in the final to finish sixth.Patrick Odongo reveals niggly injuries ruling him out of Embu 7sThe comeback has since gathered momentum.At the Driftwood 7s, Wambugu was part of a Falcons side that produced its best performance of the circuit so far.Daystar reached its maiden semifinal, finally breaking through a barrier that had eluded them throughout the season.They fell to Kabras in the semifinal but refused to let the defeat define their weekend.The Falcons bounced back to beat Menengai Oilers in the third-place playoff, securing their first podium finish of the circuit.For Wambugu, there is something particularly meaningful about being part of that progress after everything he went through to get back.Daystar Falcons captain opens up on toughest moment during injury rehabilitationThe injury taught him a lesson he admits he will carry for the rest of his career: recovery cannot be rushed.“The biggest thing I no longer take for granted is recovery. You have to allow yourself to recover. Playing through an injury can make things even worse, so you need to take care of yourself first before doing anything else,” he explained.It is a lesson he learned the hard way.During the injury period, Wambugu reached a point where he had to accept that he could not control everything about his recovery.What he could control, however, was the effort he put into getting himself back.“It reached a point where I became comfortable with whatever the injury would bring. But I told myself that I would do everything I needed to do to get back to myself and see what I was still capable of,” he said.That mindset helped him navigate the uncertainty.And now, rather than wondering whether he still has a place in rugby, Wambugu is focused on finding out just how far he and the Falcons can go.Impala boosts environmental conservation efforts through partnership with leading foundationFor much of the season, Daystar had found themselves reaching the quarterfinals but falling short of their bigger ambition. The target was always to take the next step.“Throughout the season, we have been reaching the quarterfinals, but our target was to make it to the semifinals. We wanted to do everything right, learn from our mistakes and keep improving as a team,” he offered.At Driftwood, they finally did it.
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