Page 32 - 2020 SoMJ Vol 73 No 2_Neat

The Birth of Rugby Football in Malawi 23

About the author: Barry Brindley

The day after getting married in 1973, I left to take up a
teaching post in the remote area of Luapula Province in
Zambia at St Mary’s Girls’ School; 130 miles from the nearest
telephone along a poorly maintained dirt road. The next 8
years were spent teaching at various educational institutions
ending up in Kitwe as Head of Management Services for the
copper industry. During this period, I played rugby for Ndola,
Nchanga and Kitwe and toured the USA, Australia, the Far
East, Kenya and Zimbabwe to play the “running game”. During frequent trips to
Malawi for holidays at the lake or to play in the infamous Easter rugby festival
my family and I developed a deep love and respect for Malawi. A chance meeting
with the newly appointed Headmaster of Kamuzu Academy led to me being one
of the founder members of staff at KA from 1981 to 1987.
The love of the game didn’t diminish as I travelled 200 miles to train
with Lilongwe each week and nearly 600 miles every other weekend for the away
games in Blantyre and Limbe. I have many wonderful memories of competitive
matches, 7-a-side tournaments and rugby festivals with visiting teams from
Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as tours with Malawi Leopards.
Returning to the UK in 1987, I spent 24 more years in education ending
up as Deputy Head of The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) before retiring in
2011. However, those years, and the period since retiring, were spent building
further links with Malawi. GSAL has been partnered with Kamuzu Academy for
nearly 20 years, regularly visited on a biennial basis since 1991. On retirement the
Zikomo Trust was formed in 2011 as a family charity to continue assisting
education, medical facilities and orphanages in Malawi. Over the years the Trust
and GSAL has built over 35 classrooms, 5 libraries and two science labs in the
Kasungu region as well as helping to finance the Malama Feeding Centre in
Thyolo, the Mango Tree Nursey in Cape Maclear and the distribution of over 300
tons of educational, medical and relief goods.
I played rugby for 47 continuous years until the old knees wore out. The
sport has provided marvellous memories, life-long friendships, travel experiences
and not a few bruises and broken bones. I hope now to collate and present a history
of the “running game” in Nyasaland and Malawi to inspire the next generation of
players and administrators.