Edward Rombo
{{short description|Kenyan rugby footballer}}
{{infobox rugby biography
|name = Edward Rombo
|image =
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|3|19|df=y}}
|birth_place = Nairobi, Kenya
|height =
|weight =
|occupation =
|school = Nairobi School
|university = University of Nairobi, Leeds University
|spouse =
|children =
|relatives =
|ru_position = Winger
|coachyears1 = 2010– | coachteams1 = Mwamba RFC
|amatyears1 = 1987 | amatteam1 = Barclays RFC
|amatyears2 = 1987–90 | amatteam2 = Mean Machine RFC
|amatyears3 = 1999–03 | amatteam3 = Mwamba RFC
|repyears1 = | repteam1 = {{nrut|Kenya}}
|repcaps1 = | reppoints1 =
|repyears2 = 1987–90 | repteam2 = KRFU Chairman's XV
|repteam3 = Watembezi Pacesetters VII
|repteam4 = Scorpions RFC
| module = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes
| position = {{rlp|WG}}
| club1 = Leeds
| year1start = 1990
| appearances1 = 9
| points1 = 16
| club2 = Dewsbury
| year2start = 1991
| year2end = 94
| appearances2 = 109
| points2 = 332
| club3 = Featherstone Rovers
| year3start = 1995
| year3end = 97
| appearances3 = 56
| tries3 = 26
| goals3 = 0
| fieldgoals3 = 0
| points3 = 104
| coachteamA = Kenya
| coachyearAstart = 2020
| coachyearAend = present
| coachgamesA =
| coachwinsA =
| coachdrawsA =
| coachlossesA =
}}
}}
Edward Rombo is a Kenyan former rugby union and rugby league footballer. He was one of the few Kenya rugby players to turn professional, when he moved to Leeds Rhinos in 1990.{{cite web|url=http://www.mwambarugby.com/historyHall_Rombo.html|title=Mwamba Rugby Football Club|publisher=Mwambarugby.com|date=2010-02-06|accessdate=2012-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227193029/http://www.mwambarugby.com/historyHall_Rombo.html|archive-date=2012-02-27|url-status=dead}}
Playing career
Rombo was born in 1967 in Nairobi, Kenya. He started playing rugby union when he moved to Nairobi School for secondary school education, where he captained the 1986 school side.[http://kenyapage.net/letters/rombo.html ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208170253/http://kenyapage.net/letters/rombo.html|date=February 8, 2009 }} During his school years he also played for Barclays RFC, which won the Kenya Cup in 1987. After leaving school, he enrolled in the University of Nairobi, where he joined Mean Machine RFC.
On a trip to Singapore with the Watembezi Pacesetters VII he was awarded the player of the tournament, and soon after was signed by English rugby league club Leeds. He also went on to play for Dewsbury and Featherstone Rovers.
There have only been a few other players from Kenya that have played overseas, such as Benjamin Ayimba and Oscar Osir, who both had stints with the Cornish Pirates from 2005 to 2006{{cite web|url=http://www.cornish-pirates.com/archive/08-09/news_08-09/kenyan_pirates.htm|title=Kenyan Pirates savour sevens success 16/02/09|publisher=Cornish-pirates.com|date=2005-11-15|accessdate=2011-06-04}} and Lucas Onyango who played for various professional rugby league clubs including Widnes Vikings. Teddy Omondi and Derrick Wamalwa also played professional rugby in France for Racing Club of Paris. Wamalwa was forced to retire due to knee injury. Omondi however continues and has just secured a new three-year contract.{{update needed|date=September 2020}} Willy Ambaka has also secured a pro-contract in France where he plies his trade.{{cite web|url=http://www.soyaawards.com/heroes3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912042742/http://soyaawards.com/heroes3.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 12, 2008|title=Soya Awards|publisher=Soya Awards|date=|accessdate=2012-06-24}} He took the opportunity to attend the University of Leeds and gain a degree in law.
He returned to Kenya in 1999, and played for Mwamba RFC between 1999 and 2003. Rombo later served as assistant coach for Kenya 7s and as a director on the Kenya Rugby Football Union Board from 2010 to 2012. He then retired and is now the Mwamba RFC coach.
Managerial career
In 2020, Rombo was named head coach of the Kenya national rugby league team.{{cite web|url=https://www.therhinos.co.uk/2020/05/18/former-leeds-winger-rombo-named-kenyan-national-head-coach/|title=Former Leeds winger Rombo named Kenyan national head coach|last=Daly|first=Phil|publisher=Leeds Rhinos|date=2020-05-18|accessdate=2020-08-08}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/eddie-rombo/summary.html Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org]
{{Rugby union in Kenya}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rombo, Edward}}
Category:20th-century Kenyan sportsmen
Category:Alumni of Nairobi School
Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds
Category:Dewsbury Rams players
Category:Expatriate rugby league players in England
Category:Expatriate rugby union players in England
Category:Featherstone Rovers players
Category:Kenya national rugby league team coaches
Category:Kenyan rugby league players
Category:Kenyan rugby union players