East Africa faced the British Lions in 1955 in the first game played at the recently constructed headquarters of East African rugby, the RFUEA and during the next six years welcomed other touring sides from the United Kingdom and South Africa including the Barbarians and South Africa and several prestigious university and military teams.
East Africa v British Lions
Wednesday 28 September 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 Lions as they returned from their 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.
Result :
East Africa 12 British Lions 39
Venue: Ngong Road Ground, Nairobi, Kenya
Attendance: 6000
Referee: A.G. Clark
East Africa v Barbarians
Wednesday 28 May 1958
In 1958, famous touring side Barbarians stopped over in Nairobi, on their way home from a successful tour of South Africa.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.
Result
East Africa 12 Barbarian F.C 52.
Ngong Road Ground, Nairobi, Kenya
Attendance: 6000
Referee: A.K. Fyfe
East Africa v Springboks
25 February 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.
Result
East Africa 0 South Africa 39
Ngong Road Ground, Nairobi, Kenya
Referee: Mr W S Thomas (KRRS)
East Africa v British Lions
Tuesday 28 August 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 tour to South Africa.
Result
East Africa 0 British Lions 50
Ngong Road Ground, Nairobi, Kenya
Attendance: 4000
Referee: D.G. Withey
East Africa v Wales
Tuesday 12 May 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 Nairobi, arriving on Monday morning. They played their first ever match outside Europe against East Africa on Tuesday May 12,1964.
Result
East Africa 8 Wales 26
Ngong Road Ground, Nairobi, Kenya
Attendance: 6000
Referee: G.E. Neville (Kenya R.R.S)
Touch Judge M.I. Parker
Source- Wikipedia
About Michael Kwambo
