For six days, a contingent of 26 individuals including players, coaches, top administrators and backroom staff of SC Villa were in Rwanda on a special invite from the Rwandan government to mark 25 years of existence of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

Villa took part in a four-team tournament dubbed the RPF Cup that was won by Rwandan side APR, who beat fierce rivals Rayon Sport 3-1 in the final. However, before then, Villa played against Rwandan side Rayon Sport in the semi-final and lost 2-0 before facing Burundi's Vital'o FC in the third-place play-off, which they also lost 1-2. Beyond the results, this trip helped Villa test their new team having lost a host of their players during this period of disorder in Ugandan football.

Furthermore, in honouring the RPF invite, Villa's board chairman, Fred Muwema met Rwandan President Paul Kagame as a way of renewing acquaintances. Kagame is a lifelong Villa fan and because of that, Villa were accorded VIP treatment with round-the-clock inland transport to the training grounds and match venues.

For the full course of their visit at the Alpha Palace hotel where they resided, Villa enjoyed swimming pool facilities and had full course meals to savour. In a nutshell, this trip has been seen as timely for the great lengths it went in promoting team collegiality.