East Africa rugby union team
Encyclopedia
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union
team drawing players from Kenya
, Uganda
and Tanzania
, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world. The team has played against incoming international, representative and club touring sides and it conducted seven tours between 1954 and 1982. For the last 20 years the team has been dormant, but the team's governing body, the Rugby Football Union of East Africa
(RFUEA), still exists and there have been recent talks to resurrect the side.
When it was first established it represented the colonies of British East Africa (Kenya Colony
, Tanganyika
and Uganda Protectorate) and the players were predominantly white
settlers. The 1960s saw a rapid rise in the number of indigenous
players in the region, that has continued to this day, so the East African team saw commensurate increase in the numbers of black
players being selected.
captained Stellenbosch University
on a tour of the region; though none of these encounters included a match against a representative East Africa team. The first representative team called East Africa, are recorded facing Cape Town University in 1949.
The formation of the RFUEA gave the East Africa representative side on a slightly more official status, though little, if anything, had changed with regard to the management of the team.
When the British Lions
went to South Africa
for their 1955
and 1962
tours, they played East Africa in Nairobi
on the return legs of their journeys. The Lions won both of these games, 39-12 and 50-0 respectively. The 1955 game was East Africa's first international and also saw the official opening of the team's home stadium, the RFUEA Ground
, then called the Ngong Road Ground.
In 1958, East Africa hosted the Barbarians
on their first tour of Africa. The Barbarians, managed by Brigadier Glyn Hughes
and captained by Scotland's Jim Greenwood, took in six matches, the first five all played in South Africa, but the final match of the tour was against East Africa. The game was played on 28 May, with the Barbarians winning 58-12, Tony O'Reilly
scoring seven tries
.
East Africa would also play against South Africa
in 1961 (losing 39-0), and Wales
on their 1964 tour of Africa
. Wales' game, held at the RFUEA Ground
, Nairobi
, on 12 May 1964, was the first time that they had played a match outside of Europe and therefore also their first in the Southern Hemisphere
, albeit a mere hundred miles from the Equator
. Wales won the match, 26-8.
Prior to the introduction of standard numbering systems, many teams would wear numbers (or in the case of Bristol RFC and Leicester RFC, letters) in a different order to that known today. The first set of East African jerseys were numbered from fullback (1) to scrum-half (7) followed by looshead prop (8) to Number-8 (15). It must also be remembered that prior to the innovation, by Sherborne School
, in the 1960s of using the hooker to throw the ball into the line-out, this was the job of the winger. Thus there are photos of East African matches with the unusual combination of a winger, numbered 2 or 5, throwing in to a line of eight forwards, numbered 8 to 15.
, as they returned home from their 1955 tour
of South Africa
.
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa
(RFUEA) took the opportunity of the 1955 match to invite the Lions manager (J.A.E. Siggins) to officially open their newly built national stadium, the RFUEA Ground
(then called the Ngong Road Ground) prior to kick-off. The capacity crowd of 6000 was treated to a magnificent display of running handling rugby that had characterised the tourists' games in South Africa.
One of the contemporary match reports was written by Tony Coxall, a 13 year old pupil from Arusha School
in Tanzania
who attended the match as part of a school trip in which twenty boys undertok the five-and-a-half-hour, 170 miles (273.6 km) journey to Nairobi in a 1.5 ton lorry. In this report it is stated that the Lions scored two tries before East Africa answered with a penalty and that at half time the score was 6-19. It also states that the seats cost 1 shilling each and that the crowd were entertained by the band of the Royal Irish Fusiliers
at half-time. He also describes what today would be considered one of the most basic moves in rugby, the scissors or switch pass, as an outstanding trick that appears to have been so novel in 1955 that it fooled the opposition several times!
As was usual for touring teams visiting East Africa during the 1950s, 1960's and 1970s, the Lions were given private hospitality as opposed to staying in hotels. Cliff Morgan
, Haydn Morris
and Gareth Griffiths
(all players with Cardiff RFC
) stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Arthur "Pat" Bryant, who had played for Cardiff prior to World War I, and who was an official of the East African Rugby Union
. He had refereed for the RFUEA
(in his blue and black Cardiff jersey) until his retirement at about 63 years of age. The tourists also encountered another former Cardiff player from the 1940s, Captain Howell Loveluck who was in Kenya as chaplain to the British Forces stationed there at the time of the Mau Mau Uprising
.
There is a frequently repeated urban legend
that Idi Amin
(later to become the infamous military dictator
of Uganda
) was selected as a replacement by East Africa for their match against the 1955
British Lions
. The story is entirely unfounded, he does not appear on the team list or in the team photograph and replacements were first introduced into international rugby 13 years after this event is supposed to have taken place. Mike Gibson of Ireland
is generally recognised as being the first ever replacement in a rugby union match (he came on for the injured Barry John
during the first test in Pretoria
on the 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
). The first replacement for East Africa was Douglas Hamilton who came on in the 1968 match versus Queen's University (Belfast) R.F.C.
The match was played before a capacity crowd in the late afternoon / early evening on a Wednesday; the papers reported that the colony's Legislative Council (Legco.) had adjourned early that day before cryptically referring to the Barbarian game later in the same paragraph by way of an oblique explanation. The visitors playing champagne rugby in the highest traditions of their club. Tony O'Reilly scored seven tries, no doubt making up for the fact that he had been injured and unable to play when he had come to Nairobi with the Lions three years earlier. East Africa's first try was scored by RN Angus of Kenya Harlequins, the first scored by East Africa on their Ngong Road ground.
The final score was 39-0, the half-time score having been 15-0 with South Africa piling on a further 21 points within a quarter of an hour of the beginning of the second half, though the flood gates were closed for the rest of the match with the Springboks then only scoring once more. Johannes "Hannes" Botha (a flanker) and Gideon "Giepie" Wentzel (a full-back) played out of position.
to South Africa.
, arriving on Monday morning. They played their first ever match outside Europe against East Africa on Tuesday May 12, winning 26-8, before flying down to Cape Town
on Wednesday. The remaining four matches of the tour were in South Africa
, who were celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the South African Rugby Board
. The first of these was played on May 19 against Boland
at Wellington
which they won 17-6. The test-match against South Africa
, played at King's Park, Durban
on May 23, was lost 3-24. The final two games were played on May 27 and May 30 against Northern Transvaal
at Pretoria
(lost 9-22) and the Orange Free State
at Bloemfontein
(won 14-6).
It was the lack of success experienced by the team on this tour that is credited with sparking the Welsh Rugby Union into action, appointing their first National Coach and reaping the rewards with their fabled teams of the 1970s.
team from South Africa, and the RFUEA badge had been adopted. When their first tour was being organised a few uncharitable nicknames were suggested for the team and thus the Tuskers moniker was quickly adopted and an appropriate emblem designed.
team was visiting the Northern Rhodesia
(now Zambia
) in 1953. The manager of that team was Archie Evans, a member of the Nondescripts RFC
in Nairobi and he was able to communicate this proposal to the fledgling Rugby Football Union of East Africa
(RFUEA). The tour took several months to organise, the process being hindered by the postal delays between the RFUEA, the Northern Rhodesian Rugby Union and its subsidiary, the Northern Rhodesian Congo Border Rugby Union. It was eventually decided that the latter of these would host the tour and permissions were sought from the respective governing bodies (the South African Rugby Board
for Rhodesia and the Rugby Football Union
in London for East Africa).
The delays during the planning meant that there was no time to stage trials. Instead the recently played first ever match between Kenya and Tanganyika was used to select the majority of the players that were to go on the tour. Arrangements were finalised just two weeks before departure; unfortunately one of the best players East Africa ever produced, A.I. McLean, was unable to take part as the hastily arranged tour coincided with his wedding. Most of the organisational work had been carried out by C.F. Schermbrucker (acting President of the RFUEA), Owen Wheeler (Hon Secretary RFUEA) and Mr. R.E. Luyt who had previously lived and played rugby in the Copperbelt.
The team, managed by A.K. Fyfe and Andrew G. Clark, left by air from Nairobi West on the 17 August 1954.
Played 8 matches, won 7 and lost 1 (to the Copperbelt XV).
Played against Richmond F.C.
, Blackheath F.C., Anti-Assassins
, Wilmslow RFC, Vale of Lune RUFC
, Harlequin F.C.
and Fylde RFC. All matches were lost.
(Nairobi
, Kenya
) except for those on a Tuskers tour (indicated by a grey background).
in 1972. Ted had learned his rugby at Nairobi School
after which he became the first black rugby player at Mombasa Sports Club and he was also to become the first black player to captain a rugby club in East Africa in 1974. Chris Onsotti (then of Impala R.F.C., later of Mwamba R.F.C.) was the first black player to represent East Africa as a forward, playing prop on the Fourth Tuskers tour of Ireland 1972. Chris also first played rugby at Nairobi school.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team drawing players from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world. The team has played against incoming international, representative and club touring sides and it conducted seven tours between 1954 and 1982. For the last 20 years the team has been dormant, but the team's governing body, the Rugby Football Union of East Africa
Rugby Football Union of East Africa
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were either a protectorate or mandate of the...
(RFUEA), still exists and there have been recent talks to resurrect the side.
When it was first established it represented the colonies of British East Africa (Kenya Colony
Kenya Colony
The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya was part of the British Empire in Africa. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British crown colony in 1920...
, Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
and Uganda Protectorate) and the players were predominantly white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
settlers. The 1960s saw a rapid rise in the number of indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
players in the region, that has continued to this day, so the East African team saw commensurate increase in the numbers of black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
players being selected.
Before the RFUEA
Several universities and Royal Navy ships sent teams to tour East Africa prior to the Second World War. The Combined South African Universities toured in 1929 and in 1935 Danie CravenDanie Craven
Daniël Hartman Craven , more famously known as Danie Craven or simply Doc Craven, is a former Western Province, Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal and Springbok rugby union player as well as arguably South Africa's best and best-known rugby administrator...
captained Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a public research university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Other nearby universities are the University of Cape Town and University of the Western Cape....
on a tour of the region; though none of these encounters included a match against a representative East Africa team. The first representative team called East Africa, are recorded facing Cape Town University in 1949.
The formation of the unions
The first union in British East Africa was the Rugby Football Union of Kenya (RFU-K), founded in August 1921 it was responsible for the administration of the game throughout Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika which it carried out through various district sub-unions throughout the region. In 1953 the Rugby Football Union of East Africa (RFUEA) was created in order to take over the mantle as the umbrella organisation for rugby in the region. The creation of the RFUEA allowed for the formation of the Tanganyika Rugby Football Union (TRFU) in 1954 and Uganda Rugby Football Union (URFU) in 1955. Each of these were essentially a sub-union of the RFUEA much as the district unions in Kenya were, so the RFU-K was dissolved in 1956 allowing the already existing district unions to deal directly with the RFUEA.The formation of the RFUEA gave the East Africa representative side on a slightly more official status, though little, if anything, had changed with regard to the management of the team.
Major Internationals
Though East Africa do play under the Tuskers nickname it is used exclusively when they are on tour; for all matches played at home they are referred to as East Africa. This tradition has come into being because the team had existed for five years by the time of the first external tour in 1954, the touring side adopted the Tuskers moniker, as have subsequent tours; at home they continued to refer to themselves by their original name.When the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
went to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
for their 1955
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins...
and 1962
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four....
tours, they played East Africa in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
on the return legs of their journeys. The Lions won both of these games, 39-12 and 50-0 respectively. The 1955 game was East Africa's first international and also saw the official opening of the team's home stadium, the RFUEA Ground
RFUEA Ground
The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya...
, then called the Ngong Road Ground.
In 1958, East Africa hosted the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
on their first tour of Africa. The Barbarians, managed by Brigadier Glyn Hughes
Hugh Llewellyn Glyn Hughes
Brigadier Hugh Llewellyn Glyn Hughes CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MC, MRCS was a British military officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps and later medical administrator, educationalist and sports administrator...
and captained by Scotland's Jim Greenwood, took in six matches, the first five all played in South Africa, but the final match of the tour was against East Africa. The game was played on 28 May, with the Barbarians winning 58-12, Tony O'Reilly
Tony O'Reilly
Sir Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly is an Irish businessman and former international rugby union player. He is known for his involvement the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from 1973 to 2009, and as former CEO and Chairman of the H.J. Heinz Company. He was the leading shareholder of...
scoring seven tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
.
East Africa would also play against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
in 1961 (losing 39-0), and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
on their 1964 tour of Africa
1964 Wales rugby union tour
The 1964 Wales rugby union tour of Africa was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the Wales national rugby union team to Africa. The tour also took in five matches against African regional and invitational teams with one test against South Africa. This was the first official...
. Wales' game, held at the RFUEA Ground
RFUEA Ground
The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya...
, Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, on 12 May 1964, was the first time that they had played a match outside of Europe and therefore also their first in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, albeit a mere hundred miles from the Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
. Wales won the match, 26-8.
Prior to the introduction of standard numbering systems, many teams would wear numbers (or in the case of Bristol RFC and Leicester RFC, letters) in a different order to that known today. The first set of East African jerseys were numbered from fullback (1) to scrum-half (7) followed by looshead prop (8) to Number-8 (15). It must also be remembered that prior to the innovation, by Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
, in the 1960s of using the hooker to throw the ball into the line-out, this was the job of the winger. Thus there are photos of East African matches with the unusual combination of a winger, numbered 2 or 5, throwing in to a line of eight forwards, numbered 8 to 15.
British Lions 1955
Five and a half years after their first match against the University of Capetown, East Africa played their first international match against perhaps the most famous touring team in rugby history, the British LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
, as they returned home from their 1955 tour
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa
Rugby Football Union of East Africa
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were either a protectorate or mandate of the...
(RFUEA) took the opportunity of the 1955 match to invite the Lions manager (J.A.E. Siggins) to officially open their newly built national stadium, the RFUEA Ground
RFUEA Ground
The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya...
(then called the Ngong Road Ground) prior to kick-off. The capacity crowd of 6000 was treated to a magnificent display of running handling rugby that had characterised the tourists' games in South Africa.
One of the contemporary match reports was written by Tony Coxall, a 13 year old pupil from Arusha School
Arusha School
Arusha School is a government school located in Arusha, Tanzania. Originally the school was opened in 1934 as a private co-educational school for European children, but in 1972 it was taken over by the government. The school educates students from Nursery to Primary 7. It is both a boarding school...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
who attended the match as part of a school trip in which twenty boys undertok the five-and-a-half-hour, 170 miles (273.6 km) journey to Nairobi in a 1.5 ton lorry. In this report it is stated that the Lions scored two tries before East Africa answered with a penalty and that at half time the score was 6-19. It also states that the seats cost 1 shilling each and that the crowd were entertained by the band of the Royal Irish Fusiliers
Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Fusiliers was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th Regiment of Foot and the 89th Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's , changed in 1920 to The Royal Irish Fusiliers...
at half-time. He also describes what today would be considered one of the most basic moves in rugby, the scissors or switch pass, as an outstanding trick that appears to have been so novel in 1955 that it fooled the opposition several times!
As was usual for touring teams visiting East Africa during the 1950s, 1960's and 1970s, the Lions were given private hospitality as opposed to staying in hotels. Cliff Morgan
Cliff Morgan
Cliff Morgan is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958.-Rugby career:...
, Haydn Morris
Haydn Morris
Haydn Morris is a former Cardiff, and British and Irish Lions international rugby union wing three-quarter....
and Gareth Griffiths
Gareth Griffiths (rugby player)
Gareth Meredith Griffiths is a former international rugby union player.Griffiths made his debut for Wales on 17 January 1953 versus England and was selected for the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa. He played club rugby for Cardiff RFC.- References :...
(all players with Cardiff RFC
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
) stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Arthur "Pat" Bryant, who had played for Cardiff prior to World War I, and who was an official of the East African Rugby Union
Rugby Football Union of East Africa
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were either a protectorate or mandate of the...
. He had refereed for the RFUEA
Rugby Football Union of East Africa
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were either a protectorate or mandate of the...
(in his blue and black Cardiff jersey) until his retirement at about 63 years of age. The tourists also encountered another former Cardiff player from the 1940s, Captain Howell Loveluck who was in Kenya as chaplain to the British Forces stationed there at the time of the Mau Mau Uprising
Mau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
.
There is a frequently repeated urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
(later to become the infamous military dictator
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
) was selected as a replacement by East Africa for their match against the 1955
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins...
British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. The story is entirely unfounded, he does not appear on the team list or in the team photograph and replacements were first introduced into international rugby 13 years after this event is supposed to have taken place. Mike Gibson of Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
is generally recognised as being the first ever replacement in a rugby union match (he came on for the injured Barry John
Barry John
Barry John is a former Welsh rugby union fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC in 1964...
during the first test in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
on the 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
1968 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal...
). The first replacement for East Africa was Douglas Hamilton who came on in the 1968 match versus Queen's University (Belfast) R.F.C.
Queen's University RFC
Queen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times...
|
border="0" width="100%" style="font-size:90%"> | BRITISH LIONS | |||
| Player | Club | Home Union | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 15 | Doug G S Baker | |||
| RW | 14 | Arthur R Smith | |||
| OC | 13 | J Pat Quinn | |||
| IC | 12 | Gareth M Griffiths Gareth Griffiths (rugby player) Gareth Meredith Griffiths is a former international rugby union player.Griffiths made his debut for Wales on 17 January 1953 versus England and was selected for the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa. He played club rugby for Cardiff RFC.- References :... |
|||
| LW | 11 | A Cecil Pedlow | |||
| FH | 10 | Cliff I Morgan Cliff Morgan Cliff Morgan is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958.-Rugby career:... |
|||
| SH | 9 | Trevor Lloyd Trevor Lloyd Trevor Lloyd is a former international rugby union player.Lloyd hailed from Port Talbot, where he started playing club rugby with the Aberavon Quins RFC, he made his debut for Wales on 14 March 1953 versus Ireland and was selected for the 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa... |
|||
| LP | 1 | W O G "Billy" Williams Billy Williams (rugby player) William Owen Gooding 'Billy' Williams was a Welsh international rugby union player. A prop forward, he played club rugby for Gowerton, Swansea and the Royal Navy... |
|||
| HK | 2 | B V "Bryn" Meredith Bryn Meredith Brinley "Bryn" Victor Meredith was a rugby union international. Meredith was a mobile hooker, he was selected 34 times for Wales between 1954 and 1962, but missed 2 matches for health and family bereavement reasons.... |
|||
| TP | 3 | Tom Elliott Tom Elliott Tom Elliott MLA is a Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist MLA and the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and former UDR member... |
|||
| LL | 4 | Rhys H Williams | |||
| RL | 5 | Ernie J S Michie Ernie Michie Ernest "Ernie" James Stewart Michiewas a Scottish international rugby union player, who played for and the Lions. He played at second row , and his nickname was "Fourteen".... |
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| BF | 6 | D S "Tug" Wilson | |||
| OF | 7 | R C C "Clem" Thomas Clem Thomas Richard Clement Charles "Clem" Thomas was a international rugby union player. A flanker, he represented Cambridge University R.U.F.C. in the Varsity Match in 1949 and played for Brynamman, Swansea, London Welsh and Harlequins. He earned 26 caps for Wales, between 1949 and 1959 and captained Wales... |
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| N8 | 8 | Robin H Thompson Robin Thompson Robin Thompson was a rugby union international for Ireland and a former British and Irish Lions captain.Robin Thompson won two Ulster Schools Senior Cup medals with RBAI and played for Ulster Schools... (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
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Barbarian F.C. 1958
The Barbarians, managed by Brigadier HL Glyn-Hughes and H Waddell, had just completed a successful tour of South Africa and stopped off in Nairobi on their way home. Members of this team who had previously visited Nairobi with the 1955 Lions were RH Williams, AJF O'Reilly, REG Jeeps, HF McLeod, JT Greenwood, CI Morgan, AR Smith and AC Pedlow. RH Davies had previously toured with the 1957 Combined (Oxford and Cambridge) Universities side.The match was played before a capacity crowd in the late afternoon / early evening on a Wednesday; the papers reported that the colony's Legislative Council (Legco.) had adjourned early that day before cryptically referring to the Barbarian game later in the same paragraph by way of an oblique explanation. The visitors playing champagne rugby in the highest traditions of their club. Tony O'Reilly scored seven tries, no doubt making up for the fact that he had been injured and unable to play when he had come to Nairobi with the Lions three years earlier. East Africa's first try was scored by RN Angus of Kenya Harlequins, the first scored by East Africa on their Ngong Road ground.
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border="0" width="100%" style="font-size:90%"> | BARBARIANS | |||
| | Player | | Club | | Home Union | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 15 | Robin W.T. Chisholm | |||
| RW | 14 | A.J.F. Tony O'Reilly | |||
| OC | 13 | Brian J. Jones | Newport RFC | ||
| IC | 12 | Malcolm Thomas Malcolm Thomas Malcolm Thomas was a Welsh international centre who played club rugby for Newport. He won 27 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on two tours of Australia and New Zealand. A versatile player, Thomas found himself being moved between centre and wing and was chosen many... |
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| LW | 11 | A. Cecil Pedlow | |||
| FH | 10 | Cliff I. Morgan Cliff Morgan Cliff Morgan is a former Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958.-Rugby career:... |
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| SH | 9 | Gordon H. Waddell Gordon Waddell Gordon James Barr Waddell was a Scottish rugby union player, and the son of Herbert Waddell. He played for the invitational tourist team, the Barbarians and on two British and Irish Lions tours. In fact he is the only Scottish stand off to be double lion... |
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| LP | 1 | Hugh F. McLeod | |||
| HK | 2 | Norman Bruce | |||
| TP | 3 | Ron Jacobs | |||
| LL | 4 | W.R.D. Roddy Evans | |||
| RL | 5 | Rhys H. Williams | |||
| BF | 6 | Haydn Morgan Haydn Morgan Haydn Morgan was a Welsh international flanker who played club rugby for Abertillery. He was awarded twenty seven caps for Wales and toured with Ronnie Dawson's 1959 and Arthur Smith's 1962 British Lions squads... |
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| OF | 7 | Stephen H. Wilcock | Oxford University RFC Oxford University RFC The Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:... |
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| N8 | 8 | Jim T. Greenwood (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
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Springboks 1961
In 1960-61, the Springboks undertook a four month tour of the United Kingdom and France, winning all their 43 matches except for a 0-0 draw against France and a 6-0 defeat by the Barbarians at Cardiff in what is often inaccurately listed as the final match of that tour. They left London on Wednesday February 22 by air, landing in Nairobi for a four day stopover in Kenya on their way back to Johannesburg and, on Saturday 25 February 1961, they played East Africa. This was the first and only meeting between these teams, quite possibly the first match between South Africa and another african "nation", but unequivocally the true last match of the tour.The final score was 39-0, the half-time score having been 15-0 with South Africa piling on a further 21 points within a quarter of an hour of the beginning of the second half, though the flood gates were closed for the rest of the match with the Springboks then only scoring once more. Johannes "Hannes" Botha (a flanker) and Gideon "Giepie" Wentzel (a full-back) played out of position.
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border="0" width="100%" style="font-size:90%"> | SOUTH AFRICA | |||
| | Player | | Province | | Home Union | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 15 | Johannes P F Botha | Northern Transvaal Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
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| RW | 14 | Jan P Engelbrecht | Western Province Western Province (rugby team) DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team... |
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| OC | 13 | Gideon J Wentzel | Eastern Province Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
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| IC | 12 | Alexander I Kirkpatrick | Free State Free State Cheetahs The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in... |
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| LW | 11 | Ben-Piet van Zyl | Western Province Western Province (rugby team) DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team... |
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| FH | 10 | Keith Oxlee | Natal Natal Sharks The Natal Sharks are a South African rugby union team that participate in the annual Currie Cup and Super Rugby tournaments. The Sharks home stadium is Kings Park. They draw most of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Sharks are the current representative team of the Natal rugby... |
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| SH | 9 | Pieter-de-Waal Uys | Northern Transvaal Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
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| LP | 1 | Stephanus P Kuhn | Transvaal Golden Lions The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason... |
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| HK | 2 | Robert Johns | Western Province Western Province (rugby team) DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team... |
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| TP | 3 | Johannes L Myburgh | Northern Transvaal Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
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| LL | 4 | Avril S Malan (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
Transvaal Golden Lions The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason... |
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| RL | 5 | Hendrik S van der Merwe | Northern Transvaal Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
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| BF | 6 | Pieter J van Zyl | Boland Boland Cavaliers The Boland Cavaliers , are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
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| OF | 7 | Douglas J Hopwood | Western Province Western Province (rugby team) DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team... |
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| N8 | 8 | Frederic C H du Preez | Northern Transvaal Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament... |
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British Lions 1962
Almost exactly seven years after hosing the 1955 Lions, East Africa faced the Lions again on the same ground, this time as they were returning from their 1962 tour1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four....
to South Africa.
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border="0" width="100%" style="font-size:90%"> | BRITISH LIONS | |||
| Player | Club | Home Union | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 15 | Tom Keirnan | |||
| RW | 14 | Niall Brophy | |||
| OC | 13 | Ken Jones | |||
| IC | 12 | John Dee | |||
| LW | 11 | Dewi Bebb | |||
| FH | 10 | Richard Sharp | |||
| SH | 9 | Tony O'Conner | |||
| LP | 1 | Kingsley Jones | |||
| HK | 2 | Hal Godwin | |||
| TP | 3 | David Rollo | |||
| LL | 4 | Willie John McBride | |||
| RL | 5 | Keith Rowlands | |||
| BF | 6 | Haydn Morgan | |||
| OF | 7 | Ray Hunter | |||
| N8 | 8 | Mike Campbell-Lamerton (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
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Wales 1964
In 1964 the Welsh national team undertook their first overseas tour, a five match tour of Africa. They left London on Sunday May 10 flying to NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, arriving on Monday morning. They played their first ever match outside Europe against East Africa on Tuesday May 12, winning 26-8, before flying down to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on Wednesday. The remaining four matches of the tour were in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, who were celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the South African Rugby Board
South African Rugby Board
The South African Rugby Board was the rugby union governing body of white South Africans between 1889 and 1992. The governing of white and coloured rugby union was handled separately during South Africa under Apartheid....
. The first of these was played on May 19 against Boland
Boland Cavaliers
The Boland Cavaliers , are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
at Wellington
Wellington, Western Cape
Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands 45 minutes from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 58,300. Wellington's economy is centered around agriculture such as wine, table grapes, citrus fruit and a brandy industry. The town is located 75 km north-east of...
which they won 17-6. The test-match against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, played at King's Park, Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
on May 23, was lost 3-24. The final two games were played on May 27 and May 30 against Northern Transvaal
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
at Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
(lost 9-22) and the Orange Free State
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in...
at Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
(won 14-6).
It was the lack of success experienced by the team on this tour that is credited with sparking the Welsh Rugby Union into action, appointing their first National Coach and reaping the rewards with their fabled teams of the 1970s.
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border="0" width="100%" style="font-size:90%"> | WALES | |||
| | Player | | Club | | Home Union | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 8 | G.T.R. Hodgson Grahame Hodgson Grahame Thornton Ridgeway Hodgson is a former Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby for Aberavon RFC, Bridgend RFC, Exeter RFC, Exeter Saracens RFC, Teignmouth RFC, Torquay RFC and Neath RFC. He played 15 tests for Wales between 1962 and 1967. His position was full... |
Neath RFC Neath RFC Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem... |
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| RW | 1 | D.I. Bebb Dewi Bebb Dewi Iorwerth Ellis Bebb was a Welsh rugby union player who won thirty four caps for Wales as a wing.Dewi Bebb was the son of the Welsh historian Ambrose Bebb. Educated at Friars School, Bangor, he later studied at Trinity College, Carmarthen, and Cardiff Teacher Training College. He made his... |
Swansea RFC Swansea RFC Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip... |
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| OC | 2 | Keith Bradshaw Keith Bradshaw (rugby player) Keith Bradshaw is a former international rugby union player. He was capped nine times for Wales, and at club level played for Bridgend.-Rugby career:... |
Bridgend RFC Bridgend RFC Bridgend Ravens are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division... |
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| IC | 5 | S.J. Dawes John Dawes Sydney John Dawes OBE is a former Welsh rugby union player, playing at centre, and later coach. He captained London Welsh, Wales, the Barbarians and the British Lions... |
London Welsh | ||
| LW | 10 | D.K. Jones Ken Jones (rugby player born 1941) David Kenneth Jones is a former international rugby union player.He was capped fourteen times by Wales as a centre between 1962 and 1966. He scored five tries for Wales... |
London Welsh | ||
| FH | 24 | J.M. Young | Bridgend RFC Bridgend RFC Bridgend Ravens are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division... |
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| SH | 18 | D.C.T. Rowlands Clive Rowlands Clive Rowlands OBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer and later coach.A teacher by profession, Rowlands played club rugby at scrum-half for Abercraf, Pontypool, Llanelli and Swansea... (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
Pontypool RFC Pontypool RFC Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century... |
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| LP | 23 | D. Williams Denzil Williams Denzil Williams is a former Wales international rugby union player. He was capped 36 times for Wales between 1963 and 1971, including Wales' first overseas tour in 1964. He played in the Welsh rugby team's first match outside of Europe and its first in the Southern Hemisphere; played against East... |
Ebbw Vale RFC Ebbw Vale RFC Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales. The club currently play in the WRU Division One East and the SWALEC Cup. It also acts as a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.... |
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| HK | 6 | Norman R. Gale Norman Gale (rugby player) Norman Gale was a Welsh rugby union player. A hooker, he captained the Wales national rugby union team on two occasions in 1967-68. Gale played his club rugby for Llanelli RFC and Swansea RFC, but it was with the Scarlets of Llanelli that he is most associated... |
Llanelli RFC Llanelli RFC Llanelli Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club founded in 1875 and its senior team is one of the leading club sides in Wales. The club began the 2008-09 season at their historic home ground of Stradey Park in Llanelli, but moved in November 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent... |
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| TP | 3 | Len J. Cunningham | Aberavon RFC Aberavon RFC Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town... |
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| LL | 15 | B.E.V. Price Brian Price (rugby player) Brian Price is a former Wales international rugby union player. He was born in Bargoed and originally played club rugby played for St... |
Newport RFC | ||
| RL | 19 | Brian E. Thomas | Neath RFC Neath RFC Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem... |
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| BF | 16 | G.J. Prothero Gareth Prothero Gareth John Prothero is a former international rugby union player.He was capped eleven times by Wales as a flanker between 1964 and 1966 and scored one try for his country... |
Bridgend RFC Bridgend RFC Bridgend Ravens are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division... |
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| OF | 12 | J. Mantle | Loughborough Loughborough College Loughborough College is a college of Further Education in Leicestershire, England established in 1909. It is located opposite Loughborough University on Epinal Way, and adjacent to the Loughborough University School of Art and Design, situated next to the main entrance of the college... and Newport RFC |
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| N8 | 7 | David J. Hayward | Cardiff RFC Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since... |
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Tuskers Tours
The Tuskers is the nickname of the East Africa rugby union team but it is used exclusively when they are on tour. In all matches played at home they are referred to as East Africa. By the time of the first Tuskers tour in 1954, East Africa had played three matches, all against the touring University of Cape TownUniversity of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
team from South Africa, and the RFUEA badge had been adopted. When their first tour was being organised a few uncharitable nicknames were suggested for the team and thus the Tuskers moniker was quickly adopted and an appropriate emblem designed.
First Tuskers Copperbelt Tour 1954
The idea of an East African rugby touring team was first broached while the Kenya athleticsAthletics Kenya
Athletics Kenya is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Kenya. It is a member of the IAAF and Confederation of African Athletics. AK organises athletics competitions held in Kenya. It also sends Kenyan teams to international championships. Isaiah Kiplagat is the current chairman of...
team was visiting the Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
(now Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
) in 1953. The manager of that team was Archie Evans, a member of the Nondescripts RFC
Nondescripts RFC
Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield...
in Nairobi and he was able to communicate this proposal to the fledgling Rugby Football Union of East Africa
Rugby Football Union of East Africa
The Rugby Football Union of East Africa is an umbrella union for the Kenya Rugby Football Union, Tanzania Rugby Football Union and Uganda Rugby Football Union. It owes its existence to the fact that, prior to independence, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda were either a protectorate or mandate of the...
(RFUEA). The tour took several months to organise, the process being hindered by the postal delays between the RFUEA, the Northern Rhodesian Rugby Union and its subsidiary, the Northern Rhodesian Congo Border Rugby Union. It was eventually decided that the latter of these would host the tour and permissions were sought from the respective governing bodies (the South African Rugby Board
South African Rugby Board
The South African Rugby Board was the rugby union governing body of white South Africans between 1889 and 1992. The governing of white and coloured rugby union was handled separately during South Africa under Apartheid....
for Rhodesia and the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
in London for East Africa).
The delays during the planning meant that there was no time to stage trials. Instead the recently played first ever match between Kenya and Tanganyika was used to select the majority of the players that were to go on the tour. Arrangements were finalised just two weeks before departure; unfortunately one of the best players East Africa ever produced, A.I. McLean, was unable to take part as the hastily arranged tour coincided with his wedding. Most of the organisational work had been carried out by C.F. Schermbrucker (acting President of the RFUEA), Owen Wheeler (Hon Secretary RFUEA) and Mr. R.E. Luyt who had previously lived and played rugby in the Copperbelt.
The team, managed by A.K. Fyfe and Andrew G. Clark, left by air from Nairobi West on the 17 August 1954.
Played 8 matches, won 7 and lost 1 (to the Copperbelt XV).
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Second Tuskers Copperbelt Tour 1962
In 1962 the Tuskers, captained By Chris Young, toured the Copperbelt region of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) for the second time. They played seven matches winning two; those played against Ndola and Mufulira.EWLINE
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Third Tuskers England Tour 1966
September 1966, Toured England. Captain was Brian Granville-Ross, Assistant Manager was Peter Griffiths.Played against Richmond F.C.
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
, Blackheath F.C., Anti-Assassins
Anti-Assassins
The Anti-Assassins Rugby Union Football team was an invitation team that selected players from the northern counties of England to play friendly charitable matches locally and to go on tour...
, Wilmslow RFC, Vale of Lune RUFC
Vale of Lune RUFC
Vale Of Lune Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Lancaster that plays in the Northern Division....
, Harlequin F.C.
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
and Fylde RFC. All matches were lost.
Fourth Tuskers Ireland Tour 1972
This tour took place in September 1972. The team played eight matches winning three.Fifth Tuskers Zambia Tour 1975
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Zambia v East Africa 1975
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border="0" width="100%" style="font-size:90%"> | EAST AFRICA | |||
| | Player | | Club | | Home Union | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 15 | J. Muhato | Impala RFC Impala RFC Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup... |
 |
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| RW | 14 | T. Kabetu | Mombasa Sports Club Mombasa Sports Club Mombasa Sports Club is multi-sport club based in Mombasa, Kenya. It also owns sporting facilities. The club was established in 1896, and it is among the oldest sporting clubs in Kenya.- Cricket :... |
|
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| OC | 13 | P. Evans (c Captain (sports) In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field... ) |
Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
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| IC | 12 | D. Hughes | Thika Sports Club | |
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| LW | 11 | K. Granger-Brown | Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
|
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| FH | 10 | R. Rowland | Impala RFC Impala RFC Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup... |
|
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| SH | 9 | R. Leask | Impala RFC Impala RFC Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup... |
|
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| LP | 1 | A. Cobb | Impala RFC Impala RFC Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup... |
|
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| HK | 2 | R. Smith | Kenya Harlequins Kenya Harlequins The Kenya Harlequin Football Club is a Kenyan rugby union team who play at the top level of Kenyan rugby, they are holders of the 2010 Kenya Cup and 2010 Enterprise Cup. Harlequin players make up the vast majority of the 2011 Kenya national rugby union team... |
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| TP | 3 | J. Allison | Kenya Harlequins Kenya Harlequins The Kenya Harlequin Football Club is a Kenyan rugby union team who play at the top level of Kenyan rugby, they are holders of the 2010 Kenya Cup and 2010 Enterprise Cup. Harlequin players make up the vast majority of the 2011 Kenya national rugby union team... |
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| LL | 4 | J. Cashin | Kenya Harlequins Kenya Harlequins The Kenya Harlequin Football Club is a Kenyan rugby union team who play at the top level of Kenyan rugby, they are holders of the 2010 Kenya Cup and 2010 Enterprise Cup. Harlequin players make up the vast majority of the 2011 Kenya national rugby union team... |
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| RL | 5 | L. Larsen | Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
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| BF | 6 | J. Riley | Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
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| OF | 7 | M. Evans | Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
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| N8 | 8 | R. Evans | Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
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| 16 | D. Evans | Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
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| 17 | J. Omaido | Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts RFC Nondescripts Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based in Nairobi. The club is the oldest in Kenya, and was founded in 1923 after the splitting of the Nairobi rugby club. The club 1st XV compete in the Kenya Cup, while the 2nd XV compete in the Eric Shirley Shield... |
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| 18 | J. Tarbit | Dar es Salaam RFC |  |
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| 19 | G. Davies | Impala RFC Impala RFC Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup... |
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| 20 | C. Onsotti | Impala RFC Impala RFC Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club . The club competes in the Kenya Cup as well as the Enterprise Cup... |
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| Manager: | Dougie Hamilton | |
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Tuskers Zambia Tour 1979
At the culmination of the 1978 tour to Zambia by Kenya an invitation was issued to the Tuskers to tour Zambia in 1979 to celebrate the 25th annivrsary of the First Tuskers Tour. It is not currently known if this tour took place.Sixth/Seventh Tuskers Zambia and Zimbabwe Tour 1982
The entire squad consisted of Kenyan players with the exception of David Nsubuga of Uganda. Rob Bertram, then chairman of Nondescripts RUFC, was the tour manager and Rod Evans (also Nondescripts) was the captain.List of Matches
All matches played at RFUEA GroundRFUEA Ground
The RFUEA Ground is a rugby union stadium located on the Ngong Road in Nairobi, Kenya. It was purpose built to be the home of the national team and to serve as the headquarters of the Rugby Football Union of Kenya...
(Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
) except for those on a Tuskers tour (indicated by a grey background).
| Date | Opposition | Opposition players with, or subsequently awarded, caps | Score | Result | East Africa Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-01-07 | University of Capetown | (3), (1), (1) | 5 - 33 | Lost | W.B. Young W.B. Young William Brewitt Young was a Scottish and East African rugby football player.He was capped ten times for between 1937–48 and three times for East Africa between 1949-50. Along with Maurice Daly of he is one of only two people to have been capped by a major rugby playing nation and by East... |
| 1950-01-21 | 0 - 16 | Lost | |||
| 1950-01-28 | 9 - 27 | Lost | |||
| 1954 | First Tuskers Copperbelt Tour | J. Todd | |||
| 1954-08-21 | Ndola Wanderers RFC at Ndola Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others... |
5 - 13 | Won | ||
| 1954-08-22 | Combined Diggers/Pirates XV at Nkana Nkana Nkana is a section of the city of Kitwe, Copperbelt Province, Zambia which started off in the early part of the 20th century as a railway station to support the growing complex of copper mining operations. It was named after Chief Nkana, the local traditional ruler... |
18 - 24 | Won | ||
| 1954-08-25 | Combined Nchanga/Mufulira XV at Mufulira Mufulira Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge... |
6 - 35 | Won | ||
| 1954-08-28 | Combined Mufulira/Nchanga XV at Chingola Chingola Chingola is a city in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 157,340 . It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola... |
3 - 11 | Won | ||
| 1954-08-29 | Copperbelt XV at Luanshya Luanshya Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 .Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after a prospector/explorer, William Collier, shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper... |
29 - 11 | Lost | ||
| 1954-09-1 | Roan Antelope RFC at Luanshya Luanshya Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 .Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after a prospector/explorer, William Collier, shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper... |
15 - 21 | Won | ||
| 1954-09-4 | Broken Hill RFC at Broken Hill | 6 - 16 | Won | ||
| 1954-09-5 | Lusaka RFC at Lusaka Lusaka Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head... |
8 - 13 | Won | ||
| 1955-09-28 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
(7), (3), (3), (2) | 12 - 39 | Lost | P.J.F. Wheeler |
| 1956-01- | Rhodes University Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province... Invitation XV |
9 - 18 | Lost | A.I. McLean | |
| 1956-01- | 0 - 41 | Lost | R. Kavanagh | ||
| 1956-01- | 8 - 16 | Lost | A.M. Tippett | ||
| 1956-02- | 6 - 25 | Lost | |||
| 1957-07-20 | Combined (Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... and Cambridge Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... ) Universities |
(6), (2), (1), (1) Including 2 British Lions |
9 - 44 | Lost | D.F. Rees |
| 1957-08-17 | 6 - 47 | Lost | E.R. Evans | ||
| 1957 | Salisbury Sports Club (Rhodesia Rhodesia Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965... ) |
 Rhodesia (2) |
9 - 22 | Lost | |
| 1958-05-28 | Barbarian F.C. Barbarian F.C. The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain... |
(5), (4), (2) Including 10 British Lions |
12 - 52 | Lost | A.I. McLean |
| 1958-12 | University of Capetown | (1) | 12 - 24 | Lost | R.H. Chambers |
| 1959-01 | 3 - 54 | Lost | W.W. Law | ||
| 1959-01 | 0 - 54 | Lost | E.R. Evans | ||
| 1961 | 0 - 39 | Lost | C.C. Young | ||
| 1962-05-05 | British Combined Services British Army The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England... |
(1), (1) and one Barbarian Barbarian F.C. The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain... |
17 - 36 | Lost | R.B. Laing |
| 1962 | Second Tuskers Copperbelt Tour | C.C. Young | |||
| 1962 | Ndola Wanderers RFC | - | Won | ||
| 1962 | Mufulira | - | Won | ||
| 1962 | - | Lost | |||
| 1962 | - | Lost | |||
| 1962 | - | Lost | |||
| 1962 | - | Lost | |||
| 1962 | - | Lost | |||
| 1962-08-28 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
(6), (4), (3), (2) | 0 - 55 | Lost | C.C. Young |
| 1963 | Richmond F.C. Richmond F.C. Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs... |
11 - 8 | Won | C.C. Young | |
| 1963 | Combined (Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... and Cambridge Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... ) Universities |
0 - 19 | Lost | C.C. Young | |
| 1964 | 8 - 26 | Lost | R.B. Laing | ||
| 1965 | Anti-Assassins Anti-Assassins The Anti-Assassins Rugby Union Football team was an invitation team that selected players from the northern counties of England to play friendly charitable matches locally and to go on tour... |
0 - 13 | Lost | D.S. Reynolds | |
| 1966 | Blackheath F.C. | 5 - 44 | Lost | P.J. Spark | |
| 1966 | Third Tuskers England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... Tour |
B.G. Granville-Ross | |||
| 1966 | Richmond F.C. Richmond F.C. Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs... |
- | Lost | ||
| 1966 | Anti-Assassins Anti-Assassins The Anti-Assassins Rugby Union Football team was an invitation team that selected players from the northern counties of England to play friendly charitable matches locally and to go on tour... (at Bury) |
- | Lost | ||
| 1966 | Blackheath F.C. | - | Lost | ||
| 1966 | Wilmslow Wilmslow -Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury... |
- | Lost | ||
| 1966 | Vale of Lune Vale of Lune RUFC Vale Of Lune Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Lancaster that plays in the Northern Division.... |
- | Lost | ||
| 1966 | Harlequins F.C. | - | Lost | ||
| 1966 | Fylde Fylde Fylde is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It covers part of the Fylde plain, after which it is named. The council's headquarters are in St Annes... |
- | Lost | ||
| 1967 | British Middle East Command Middle East Command The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The... |
5 - 15 | Lost | ||
| 1968 | Queen's University (Belfast) R.F.C. Queen's University RFC Queen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times... |
5 - 29 | Lost | D.S. Reynolds | |
| 1968-07-20 | Middlesex County XV Middlesex Rugby Football Union Middlesex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Middlesex, England; Middlesex is a historic county of England that has since been divided up and shared between Greater London, Surrey and Hertfordshire though the appellation is still in use when referring to sport, businesses... |
0 - 28 | Lost | D.S. Reynolds | |
| 1969 | Anti-Assassins Anti-Assassins The Anti-Assassins Rugby Union Football team was an invitation team that selected players from the northern counties of England to play friendly charitable matches locally and to go on tour... |
8 - 40 | Lost | A. Evans | |
| 1971 | Cork Constitution Cork Constitution Cork Constitution is a club, based in Cork. It was founded by staff of the Cork Constitution. Since the paper did not publish on Sundays, the staff were looking for activities to pursue on Saturday afternoons. In the summer, cricket was played, while in the winter, rugby was the designated... RFC |
6 - 9 | Lost | G. Barbour | |
| 1971 | Blackrock College RFC Blackrock College RFC Blackrock College Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 by former pupils of Blackrock College... |
24 - 8 | Won | K. Lillis | |
| 1972-04-29 | Rosslyn Park F.C. Rosslyn Park F.C. Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in... |
9 - 26 | Lost | D. Parker | |
| 1972 | Richmond F.C. Richmond F.C. Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs... |
9 - 19 | Lost | G. Barbour | |
| 1972 | Fourth Tuskers Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... Tour |
G. Barbour | |||
| 1972 | - | Won | |||
| 1972 | - | Won | |||
| 1972 | - | Won | |||
| 1972 | - | Lost | |||
| 1972 | - | Lost | |||
| 1972 | - | Lost | |||
| 1972 | - | Lost | |||
| 1972 | - | Lost | |||
| 1973-08-04 | Wasps RFC | 13 - 31 | Lost | K. Lillis | |
| 1973 | Harlequin F.C. Harlequin F.C. The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop... |
15 - 20 | Lost | K. Lillis | |
| 1975 | Fifth Tuskers Zambia Zambia Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.... Tour |
R. Dicky Evans | |||
| 1975-08-23 | Zambia club champions 1975 (Ndola Wanderers RFC) at Ndola Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others... |
Peter Stagg Peter Stagg Peter Kidner Stagg is a former international rugby union player.He was capped twenty-eight times as a lock for Scotland between 1965 and 1970, including one cap as a replacement.... and British Lions 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal... |
- | Won | |
| 1975-08-26 | Combined (Roan/Ndola/Mufulira/Chibuluma) XV at Mufulira Mufulira Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge... |
- | Won | ||
| 1975-08-28 | Combined (Chingola/Diggers/Kitwe) XV at Nchanga | - | Won | ||
| 1975-08-31 | at Kitwe | (including Peter Stagg Peter Stagg Peter Kidner Stagg is a former international rugby union player.He was capped twenty-eight times as a lock for Scotland between 1965 and 1970, including one cap as a replacement.... and British Lions 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal... ) |
18 - 15 | Lost | P.D. Evans |
| 1975-09-02 | Combined Zambia Zambia Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.... n Clubs XV (Lechwe RFC) at Luanshya Luanshya Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 .Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after a prospector/explorer, William Collier, shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper... (under floodlights) |
4 - 31 | Won | ||
| 1975-09-06 | Midlands at Lusaka | - | Won | ||
| 1976 | Rugby Roma Olimpic Rugby Roma Olimpic Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Rugby Roma Olimpic are an Italian professional rugby union team.Based in Rome, the senior team competed in the Italian top tier competition, the Super 10.... |
6 - 9 | Lost | R.G.R. Evans | |
| 1976 | Rugby Roma Olimpic Rugby Roma Olimpic Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Rugby Roma Olimpic are an Italian professional rugby union team.Based in Rome, the senior team competed in the Italian top tier competition, the Super 10.... |
9 - 9 | Drawn | R.G.R. Evans | |
| 1976 | Combined Zambia Zambia Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.... n Clubs XV (Lechwe RFC) |
6 - 23 | Lost | R.F. Rowland | |
| 1979-05-26 | Blackheath F.C. | - | |||
| 1979 | Sixth Tuskers Zambia Zambia Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.... Tour |
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| 1979 | 13 - 21 | Won | |||
| - | |||||
| 1982 | Seventh Tuskers Zambia Zambia Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.... and Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three... Tour |
R.G.R. Evans | |||
| 1982 | Copperbelt XV at Roan Antelope RFC, Luanshya Luanshya Luanshya is a town in Zambia, in the Copperbelt Province near Ndola. It has a population of 117,579 .Luanshya was founded in the early part of the 20th century after a prospector/explorer, William Collier, shot and killed a Roan Antelope on the banks of the Luanshya River, discovering a copper... |
6 - 25 | Won | ||
| 1982 | Ndola Wanderers RFC at Ndola Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others... |
3 - 20 | Won | ||
| 1982 | Matabeleland Matabeleland Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The region is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people... XV at Hartsfield Ground, Bulawayo Bulawayo Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland... |
40 - 19 | Lost | ||
| 1982 | Midlands XV at Que-Que Kwekwe Kwekwe or Kwe Kwe , formerly spelt Que Que, is a city in central Zimbabwe. It is located in the centre of the country —roughly equidistant from Harare to the northeast and Bulawayo to the southwest. Its population stood at 47,607 in 1982, 75,425 in 1992 and the preliminary result of the 2002... |
16 - 35 | Won | ||
| 1982-03-20 | at Salisbury Harare Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its... |
15 - 12 | Lost | ||
Notable personalities
Though Idi Amin did not face the Lions, he was one of the first black rugby players in East Africa; he played for the Nile R.F.C. (in the town of Jinja, Uganda) in the mid to late 1950s, and later for Kampala Kobs R.F.C. but he was never selected to represent East Africa. The first black player to represent East Africa was J.K. "Ted" Kabetu (Mombasa Sports Club), playing on the wing against Richmond F.C.Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
in 1972. Ted had learned his rugby at Nairobi School
Nairobi School
Nairobi School is a national secondary school in Nairobi, Kenya. It was founded in 1902 by the British settlers who had made Nairobi their home after the construction of the Uganda Railway...
after which he became the first black rugby player at Mombasa Sports Club and he was also to become the first black player to captain a rugby club in East Africa in 1974. Chris Onsotti (then of Impala R.F.C., later of Mwamba R.F.C.) was the first black player to represent East Africa as a forward, playing prop on the Fourth Tuskers tour of Ireland 1972. Chris also first played rugby at Nairobi school.
Test Matches
| Against | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 67% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| Total | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25% |
Non-test Matches
| Against | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Capetown | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0% |
| Copperbelt XV | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Rhodes University Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province... Invitation XV |
4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Combined (Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... and Cambridge Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... ) Universities |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Salisbury Sports Club | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Barbarian F.C. Barbarian F.C. The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| British Combined Services | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Richmond F.C. Richmond F.C. Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs... |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Anti-Assassins Anti-Assassins The Anti-Assassins Rugby Union Football team was an invitation team that selected players from the northern counties of England to play friendly charitable matches locally and to go on tour... |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Blackheath F.C. | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| British Middle East Command Middle East Command The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Queen's University (Belfast) R.F.C. Queen's University RFC Queen's University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast. Founded in 1869, it is the second oldest rugby union club in Northern Ireland . They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 21 times... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Middlesex County XV Middlesex Rugby Football Union Middlesex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Middlesex, England; Middlesex is a historic county of England that has since been divided up and shared between Greater London, Surrey and Hertfordshire though the appellation is still in use when referring to sport, businesses... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Cork Constitution Cork Constitution Cork Constitution is a club, based in Cork. It was founded by staff of the Cork Constitution. Since the paper did not publish on Sundays, the staff were looking for activities to pursue on Saturday afternoons. In the summer, cricket was played, while in the winter, rugby was the designated... RFC |
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| Blackrock College RFC Blackrock College RFC Blackrock College Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 by former pupils of Blackrock College... |
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| Rosslyn Park F.C. Rosslyn Park F.C. Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in... |
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| Wasps RFC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Harlequin F.C. Harlequin F.C. The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop... |
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| Total | 32 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 6.4% |
Participating Unions
The members of this team are drawn from players who qualify to be selected for:- Kenya national rugby union teamKenya national rugby union teamThe Kenya national rugby union team is the Kenyan national team in Rugby. it is controlled by the Kenya Rugby Football Union.The team participates Confederation of African Rugby tournaments, but has never qualified for the Rugby World Cup....
- Tanzania national rugby union teamTanzania national rugby union teamThe Tanzania national rugby union team represents Tanzania in international rugby union. They are known as the Twigas . Tanzania are a member of the International Rugby Board , and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament. In the 1970s expatriates and Tanzanians regularly played in the...
- Uganda national rugby union teamUganda national rugby union teamThe Uganda national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Uganda, representing them at rugby union. Rugby union was introduced by the British during colonial rule and Uganda played their first international game against Kenya in 1958...