Kenyan rugby makes a date with world’s kings of the game

When you think of South African rugby what comes to mind? Perhaps it is of hulky, beefy players who know only one way to get past the opposition; running through them.

Or of mean-faced, steely-eyed, hefty men who love to fling their bodies with abandon at anything that resemblances a human being and have almost patented gang-tackling, a not-for-the-faint-hearted defence – and intimidation – strategy where two or three team members simultaneously tackle some poor opponent who will be lucky to walk away unharmed.

Yap, the South Africans, all muscle, physically bully you into submission. It is the essence of the game. And it has worked for them with telling success since the turn of the 19th century when representative games were first recorded in that country.

That is why I consider South African rugby the best in the world. Their national team, the Springboks, are the reigning Rugby World Cup champions. They also won rugby’s most coveted crown in 1995.

The Boks are also the current Tri-Nations champions and winners of the century-old British and Irish Lions tour series fought very intensely in South Africa last year. They are perched second in the IRB world ranking and were named the 2008 Team of the Year at the respected Laureus sports awards.

South Africa’s tale with rugby started way back in 1891 when a British Isles side toured the country and whitewashed their African opposition 20 games to nil with just one point conceded.

Another tour in 1896 saw the British beat South Africa in three of four test matches. It created media attention and laid the foundation for rugby, which became very popular. It is said in 1902 a temporary ceasefire was declared during the Second Boer War to allow a match to be played between British and Boer forces.

Greatest power

By the time World War I started in 1914 South Africa had established themselves as the greatest power in rugby, only rivalled by – you got it – the All Blacks of New Zealand. Their superiority continued until the 1990s when New Zealand overtook them, based on positive win-loss ratios against other test playing nations.

South Africa has over the years produced such accomplished players as lock Barry Heatlie, flyhalf Bennie Osler, eighth man Hennie Muller, scrumhalf Dannie Craven, flanker Frik du Preez, eighth man Morne du Plessis, flyhalf Naas Botha, flanker Francois Pienaar and scrumhalf Joost Van der Westhuizen.

Their homeland is where amateur-playing Kenya will be for a one-match tour after landing a momentous fixture against Mpumalanga Province to curtain-raise the test match between South Africa and Italy on June 19 in Witbank. Mpumalanga provides players – all potential Boks material – for Pumas, their Currie Cup side.

What an honour for Kenyan rugby. This is the equivalent of Harambee Stars playing at Maracana Stadium against a Brazilian top league side or our national basketball team against a National Basketball Association (NBA) side in the USA. I can’t wait, no matter the score line.