A TRIBUTE TO THE ROCK OF KENYAN RUGBY
Thirty years since its inception, Mwamba Rugby Football Club continues to prove its commitment to creating milestones in Kenyan rugby and has surmounted great odds to emerge as one of the top clubs in the local league.
The word “mwamba” is Kiswahili for “rock”, which signifies stability, firmness and dependability; the precise words that describe Mwamba R.F.C today; stability in its great performance in the local leagues, firmness in its desire to nurture local talent, dependability to the dreams of its founding fathers, its fans and its future. Indeed, the members of this club exhibit a strong spirit to play the game of rugby and while at it, an unyielding desire to outclass every other club in the league.
Mwamba R.F.C. has its home at the Railways Club on Uhuru Highway which lies adjacent to Uhuru Park. Sitting at the stands, one has a breath-taking view of the city centre, which for a few moments takes your attention away from the dilapidated rugby pitch. The pitch at the Railway Club doubles as a football pitch for other clubs and as such, the playing surface leaves a lot to be desired. The try posts lean over and have for several years now, and the few spectator stands are slowly falling apart. Players train under harsh conditions that they have no control over. The place they call home is not really theirs and they struggle to pay their rent. The facilities are not much to speak of.
This is what makes the story of Mwamba R.F.C that more remarkable. Thirty years ago, in 1978, its founding fathers formed the club with an aim to embed indigenous Africans into the game of rugby. Their black shirts were a testament to the introduction of the game to the Africans and their name, Mwamba, a declaration of their intention to stand steadfast in the face of any adversary. Today, although the face of the adversary has changed from clubs of the old order to difficult economic times, the vision of Mwamba is the same-to create a solid foundation for players to prove their worth and to play a game that they love.
It could successfully be argued that Mwamba R.F.C players form the backbone of the national rugby teams. They are a force to reckon with in the local leagues and have a tendency to cause upsets in both the fifteens and sevens versions of the game. They tackle each game with the same intensity, never underestimating an opponent and treating each game situation as an opportunity to prove their significance. And at the end of each match day, win or lose, they stamp their authority on Kenyan rugby.
Having set new standards in men’s rugby, Mwamba R.F.C went a step further and formed a women’s side, the 
first competitive women’s club in the country, and aptly called them the Mwamba Invaders. Whether it meant playing their male counter parts, or playing amongst themselves, the women were keen on invading the rugby scene with a new brand of rugby; Kenyan women’s rugby. They have beaten all odds and grown from strength to strength, and from a handful of women who trained at the Railway Club grounds when they could get time away from other sports like hockey and basket ball, Mwamba Invaders now boasts close to forty active and committed players. The women are a class above other women’s rugby teams in the country. They naturally form the bulk of the women’s national rugby team in both the fifteens and the sevens versions of the game and recently won the women’s tournament at the 2008 Safari Sevens.
It is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination what leaps and bounds this team will make in the coming years. They have already made it clear that there is no turning back. After all, now that they have found the winning formula; resilience and dedication from leaders and focus from players, all there is to look forward to is even more success. Truly, if there exist rugby players in Kenya who still play this game at club level for the sheer love of the game and not for image association or club perks, then it is the men and women at Mwamba. It is the heart of these players that keeps Mwamba Rugby Football Club as solid as a rock.
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Hi, this is awesome. I’ve posted this p on the new Mwamba facebook club I’ve just created. Check it out, join, and invite other Kulabu faithfuls.