Impala RFC
Encyclopedia
Impala Rugby Football Club is a Kenyan rugby club based at the Impala Club (a sporting
/country club
in Nairobi
, Kenya
). The club competes in the Kenya Cup
as well as the Enterprise Cup
. The club is based and trains at their ground on Ngong Road, adjacent to the RFUEA Ground
.
), Gregory Comninos, started raising teams of old boys to play regular mid-week matches against the School. These matches proved to be a very popular and the possibility of starting an official club was put forward. A meeting was held at the Prince of Wales School and the Old Cambrians Club was launched. It was decided at this time that the club would wear the Welsh
colours as their kit. The club initially prospered however, shortly after the acquisition of their Ngong Road ground in 1949, the club went through extremely tough times, the low-point being the 1953 season when no rugby was played. A decision was made to re-launch the club under the name Impala RFC, with many of the old players and coaching staff staying on. This led to a return in strength of the club, and in 1959 they enjoyed an unbeaten season (though ironically this powerful team were not allowed to enter the Enterprise Cup
competition due to vageries in the then qualification process which required them to have finished in the top three of the previous year's Nairobi District Championship). Impala continued to prosper into the Sixties, winning the Enterprise Cup
in 1961 & 1965.
They won the Enterprise Cup consecutively for four years from 1971 to 1974 and several seven-a-side tournaments during the same period. Between 1980 and 1995 the quality of rugby at Impala went into decline however since then they have returned to take their place as one of the top three rugby clubs in the capital. Impala has since then performed well in the two major 15-a-side competitions in Kenya rugby, the Kenya Cup
and Enterprise Cup
. They won both these titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 (shared with Harlequins) and 2005. They also won the Kenya Cup
and Supremacy Cup (a one-off match at the end of each season between the Enterprise Cup
winners and the Kenya Cup
winners) in 2009 beating Harlequins in both instances.
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
/country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
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...
, 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...
). The club competes in the Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup is the premier rugby union competition in Kenya. It is organised by the Kenya Rugby Football Union. Kenya cup has currently nine teams and is played in a league format...
as well as the Enterprise Cup
Enterprise Cup
The Enterprise Cup is an annual Rugby union competition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, though the competition frequently has the appearance of being an all-Kenyan affair as the majority of East African rugby clubs are based in this one country and frequently clubs in Tanzania and Uganda are unable...
. The club is based and trains at their ground on Ngong Road, adjacent to 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...
.
History
The origin of the present Rugby Section of the Impala Club dates back to 1930 when an old boy of the Prince of Wales School (now Nairobi SchoolNairobi 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...
), Gregory Comninos, started raising teams of old boys to play regular mid-week matches against the School. These matches proved to be a very popular and the possibility of starting an official club was put forward. A meeting was held at the Prince of Wales School and the Old Cambrians Club was launched. It was decided at this time that the club would wear the Welsh
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...
colours as their kit. The club initially prospered however, shortly after the acquisition of their Ngong Road ground in 1949, the club went through extremely tough times, the low-point being the 1953 season when no rugby was played. A decision was made to re-launch the club under the name Impala RFC, with many of the old players and coaching staff staying on. This led to a return in strength of the club, and in 1959 they enjoyed an unbeaten season (though ironically this powerful team were not allowed to enter the Enterprise Cup
Enterprise Cup
The Enterprise Cup is an annual Rugby union competition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, though the competition frequently has the appearance of being an all-Kenyan affair as the majority of East African rugby clubs are based in this one country and frequently clubs in Tanzania and Uganda are unable...
competition due to vageries in the then qualification process which required them to have finished in the top three of the previous year's Nairobi District Championship). Impala continued to prosper into the Sixties, winning the Enterprise Cup
Enterprise Cup
The Enterprise Cup is an annual Rugby union competition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, though the competition frequently has the appearance of being an all-Kenyan affair as the majority of East African rugby clubs are based in this one country and frequently clubs in Tanzania and Uganda are unable...
in 1961 & 1965.
They won the Enterprise Cup consecutively for four years from 1971 to 1974 and several seven-a-side tournaments during the same period. Between 1980 and 1995 the quality of rugby at Impala went into decline however since then they have returned to take their place as one of the top three rugby clubs in the capital. Impala has since then performed well in the two major 15-a-side competitions in Kenya rugby, the Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup is the premier rugby union competition in Kenya. It is organised by the Kenya Rugby Football Union. Kenya cup has currently nine teams and is played in a league format...
and Enterprise Cup
Enterprise Cup
The Enterprise Cup is an annual Rugby union competition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, though the competition frequently has the appearance of being an all-Kenyan affair as the majority of East African rugby clubs are based in this one country and frequently clubs in Tanzania and Uganda are unable...
. They won both these titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 (shared with Harlequins) and 2005. They also won the Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup is the premier rugby union competition in Kenya. It is organised by the Kenya Rugby Football Union. Kenya cup has currently nine teams and is played in a league format...
and Supremacy Cup (a one-off match at the end of each season between the Enterprise Cup
Enterprise Cup
The Enterprise Cup is an annual Rugby union competition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, though the competition frequently has the appearance of being an all-Kenyan affair as the majority of East African rugby clubs are based in this one country and frequently clubs in Tanzania and Uganda are unable...
winners and the Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup
Kenya Cup is the premier rugby union competition in Kenya. It is organised by the Kenya Rugby Football Union. Kenya cup has currently nine teams and is played in a league format...
winners) in 2009 beating Harlequins in both instances.
Kenya XV
- Nzioka Muema
- Lawrence Terer
- David Abenga
- Kevin Umbuge
- Duncan Ekasi
- Michael Mugo
- Kevin Gisore
- Vincent Mose
East Africa / Tuskers
- Adams, H.A.
- Andrews. Mike
- Barnes, Mike
- Booyse, L.
- Brown, D.G.D.
- Brown, Tom
- Cobb, Andy
- Chubb, J.A.
- Davies, Gareth
- Isherwood, B.
- Leask, Roy
- Lillis, Kevin
- Mason, Joe
- Mills, Peter
- Muhato, John
- Onsotti, Chris
- Parker, Dave
- Parsons, David
- Rowland, Rob
- Tory, T.A.