England’s 2003 World Cup hero Dallaglio tours Kenya

One of England’s greatest rugby players Lawrence Dallaglio is in Kenya.

The former England backrow landed in Nairobi Tuesday morning for a 10-day tour of the country courtesy of the Rugby Patrons Society (RPS).

“I am very excited, very honoured to be here, on my first visit to Kenya and to Africa outside of South Africa,” a jovial Dallaglio said on arrival.

The 2003 World Cup winner will be the guest speaker at the Rugby Patrons Society’s annual dinner in Nairobi on Friday.

The dinner is part of the fund raising activities done by the Society to support rugby in the country.

Dallaglio, 52, is among a small group of players to have won both the Rugby World Cup (2003) and Sevens World Cup (1993).

The former London Wasps pro was inducted to the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016. 

As part of his tour, the 6-foot 4-inch former feared flanker/eighth man, will conduct a mini rugby training session under the RPS grassroots rugby programme at Hillcrest Preparatory School on Saturday.

The programme sees volunteers conducting rugby training for youngsters particularly from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds and offering them opportunities to uplift their lives. The society was formed in 1955 with membership open only to former rugby players.

The society has supported activities of the union with cash and materials over the years, quietly and without the desire for publicity.

The patrons were the brains behind the now famous Safari Sevens that was started in 1996 to help raise the profile of the game in the country.