By Michael Mundia Kamau

Schools rugby in Kenya, indeed the grassroots, is also in dire need of revamping and here lies another bitter point of contention. As mentioned earlier, rugby in Kenya is regarded as a bourgeois sport whose participation is confined to former white strongholds such as Lenana School, Nairobi School and Nairobi's, St. Marys School.

This is confirmed by the fact that the 18 year old school's Prescott Cup has been won by only three schools : Lenana School, St. Marys School and the predominantly white, Rift Valley Academy. This has been the cause of a further conflict of Black vs Black, where blacks associated with rugby are regarded as whites with black skins, "sell-outs", as it were. There was a move to spread the game to other areas of the country with the inception of the Damu Pevu schools league in the early 1990s, but this has not borne fruit.

For a brief period in 1993, the Rift Valley's Njoro High School dazzled crowds with brilliant displays, and it strongly appeared that Kenyan rugby was spreading it's wings. This is a goal that is far from being realised and the Kenya Rugby Football Union (K.R.F.U.), and the Rugby Football Union of East Africa (R.F.U.E.A.), need to be sufficiently challenged. Control of the game in Kenya is firmly in the hands of a few and there is a reluctance to widen the expanse of the game, because this could very well result in a relinquishing of power by those in control. Economic interests have therefore hampered growth of the sport in Kenya.

Even the structure that existed in established rugby playing schools, has largely collapsed. In the days that I joined high school, there existed different developmental and participatory levels. The form one level of participation was referred to as "baby colts". The form two level of participation was referred to as "junior colts". The form three level of participation was referred to as "middle colts" and the form four level of participation was referred to as "senior colts". Form fives played in the school's second fifteen side, while form sixes played in the school's first fifteen side. Exceptional individuals like Jacko and Rambo were already playing for their first team's while in form three. It is regettable that no similar structures are in place nowadays.

Rugby is a useful sport for this country and it's growth needs to be fully encouraged. Like soccer, it is a sport that requires minimal infrastructural input. It's growth in Kenya will however require a tremendous amount of worthwhile effort. It is rugby that made Edward Rombo acquire an education at the prestigious Leeds University. There are several other Kenyans who can benefit from similar programmes and it is terribly disheartening that so much talent is going to waste in this country. At higher levels there are huge benefits to be reaped from lucrative sponsorship contracts and tourism.

Chris Onsotti, Jackson "Jacko" Omaido, Edward Rombo and Sammy Khakame belong to four brilliant generations of Kenyan rugby players, whose potential has not fully been utilised. Our focus now should be on developing the full potential of coming generations of rugby players in Kenya, on building rugby into a common man's game in Kenya, and on firmly establishing Kenya as a top rugby playing Nation. This is an ambitious undertaking that can most certainly be attained.

Read Part Three: Rugby should be a vehicle for racial integration
Michael Mundia Kamau the distinguished career of Edward Rombo.

Read Part Two: First Blood to Rombo
Michael Mundia Kamau the distinguished career of Edward Rombo.

Read Part One: Kenya look to the world stage
Michael Mundia Kamau looks at the state of the game in Kenya.