This article was published in the Daily Nation on Saturday, February 23, 2013.
When the Eric Shirley Shield was inaugurated in 1962, Strathmore College was among its pioneer teams.
A multi-racial school from its inception in 1961, Strathmore competed along with the African side from Kagumo College in Nyeri, the Royal Technical College and club second sides, or “A” XVs’, as second teams were then called. The Eric Shirley Shield tournament was introduced by the Rugby Football Union of East Africa as part of the effort to expand the game.
Initially an “A” level college, Strathmore grew into a fully-fledged university, receiving its charter in 2007.
The 1961 team was coached by Kevin O’Byrne, an outstanding scrumhalf who represented East Africa, Kenya territory and Central Province, notably playing matched against Wales and the British Lions.
“O’Byrne’s contribution was immense. He actively went and recruited new players to play rugby. When you haven’t played the game in your youth, you see it as a pretty violent game,” said Jim McFie, who played for Strathmore College in 1963. “It took a lot of persuading to convince students who had never seen the game before to come out and actually play.”
Matheus Mwagonah, a long-serving Kiswahili teacher at Strathmore who also studied at Strathmore, remembers Kevin O’Byrne from his student days. “I remember getting a nose-bleed in a game after a tackle. No sooner had I received first aid than O’Byrne told me firmly to go back in and play. He was a no-nonsense coach.”
McFie remembers another Matheus whom he played with in the Strathmore team. “Matheus Keah was a year ahead of me, he played flyhhalf. You’d give him the ball and he’d run through five or six players. He was a very strong runner.”
“Without Kevin O’Byrne many students at Strathmore would not have played rugby. He was very convincing, and he could put a great team together.”
Fifty years later, Strathmore Leos success had not come as a fluke.
“The school actively scouts for good players and tries to make them fit into university life. We try and make it as easy as possible for the team to fit in,” say McFie, who captained Kenya Harlequin in 1970 and toured Ireland with the Tuskers.
The university has invested in developing a rugby pitch and gym at its Madaraka campus, supporting players in all areas of development, an initiative that has paid off. In 2007, Strathmore won the Eric Shirley Shield and were promoted to the Kenya Cup. Today they play in the final of the Kenya Cup, playing Nakuru RFC, with a chance of becoming first division champions.
Postscript. Nakuru RFC beat Strathmore Leos 37-3 in the final at Kasarani Stadium.