To fully understand the history of rugby in the three East African nations of
Kenya,
Uganda and
Tanzania, it must first be understood that at the time the sport was introduced to the region these three countries were part of the
British Empire. East Africa had been divided between the British and
German colonial empires until the end of the
First World War when the vast majority of German influence was handed to the British. Kenya, Uganda and Zanzibar had been under British influence since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whilst Tanganyika was transferred to British control in 1919. The
Colony and Protectorate of Kenya,
Tanganyika Territory the
Protectorate of Uganda and the
Protectorate of
Zanzibar were regarded by the Empire as territories or provinces in much the same was as the colonies of the
Cape,
Natal,
Transvaal and the
Orange River Colony.
Club and inter territorial rugby The first union in British East Africa was the Rugby Football Union of Kenya (RFU-K), founded in August 1921 (although it did not become effective until 1923 with the formation of the first two Nairobi clubs -
Nondescripts RFC and Harlequins R.F.C.); it was responsible for the administration of the game throughout Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika which it carried out through various district sub-unions throughout the region.
Incoming tours Several universities and Royal Navy ships sent teams to tour East Africa prior to the Second World War. The first was H.M.S. Southampton (1922), closely followed by H.M.S. Colombo (1923) and then (frequently more than once over the next decade) His Majesty's Ships Cairo, Chatham, Effingham and
Enterprise. This latter vessel was to provide a lasting memento of its visits by presenting the
Enterprise Cup to the union in 1928; a trophy that has been the object of competition between clubs in the region ever since. The Combined South African Universities toured in 1929 and in 1935
Danie Craven captained
Stellenbosch University on a tour of the region; though none of these encounters included a match against a representative East Africa team. The first representative team called East Africa, are recorded facing Cape Town University in 1949. ==The formation of the RFUEA==