School boy Rugby in Kenya is in a very healthy state. Rugby at high school level is now played all over the country with long standing and sometimes bitter rivalries between schools. Rugby fans at this level are the most passionate about there teams. One just has to attend a match pitting two rivals to see the raucus and tense atmosphere created by the students.

The Prescott cup is played on an annual basis and features the traditionally dominant schools from the Nairobi area. These are the schools which have been playing rugby for close to half a century. These include Lenana better known as "Changez", Nairobi School , better known as "Patch", and Saint Marys better known as Saints. The other regular campaigners include Rift Valley Academy (RVA) , Hillcrest and Strathmore. The Damu Pevu shield is contested by second tier teams from the Nairobi area.

In addition, provincial tournaments are contested by teams all over the country. Several One day tournaments are organized by schools. The most famous of these is the Easter Blackrock festival hosted by St Marys, which is as much a social event as it is a rugby tournament. The other famous tournament is the John Andrews memorial sevens hosted by Lenana.

Nairobi area schools have for many years been the most dominant schools in the nation and have produced most of Kenya's greatest players including Edward Rombo who played for Nairobi school and Jimmy Owino who played for Lenana. . This is largely due to the fact that Rugby was for many years played only in Nairobi. Rivalries such as between Lenana and Nairobi school and that between RVA and Saint Marys evoke the deepest passions among the student fans of such teams. The last few years have seen a meteoric rise in the standards of Rugby played by schools outside the Nairobi. In 1992, Saint Marys expected to streamroll through all opposition at the National schools championships in Kakamega only to be upset by a surprisingly good Njoro High school team from Rift Valley province. That was just a mere sign of things to come. In the following years several such schools have given a good account of themselves. These include Musingu and Kakamega high from Western Province, St Marys Yala and Maseno from Nyanza province, Nakuru high and Njoro from RVP as well as Mangu from central province. In the 2000 edition of the national secondary schools championships, Upcountry schools proved once and for all that they had finally closed the gap on traditionally dominant Nairobi schools. St Marys Yala beat Lenana thus avenging the loss they suffered in the previous years final. Kakamega high went on to win the tournament by beating ST Marys Yala in the final. In the 2001 National rugby schools tourney, Nakuru high beat St Marys Yala in the final once again reaffirming the emergence of upcountry schools.

Schools rugby represents Kenya's best chance at excelling in International Rugby. Kenya's schoolboys are just as good as those in England or New Zealand. The fact that Zimbabwe being an African nation finished second at the inaugural world schools champinships should vindicate my point. If only the KRFU could get its act together and a team to the world schools championships.

Lenana takes on St Marys Yala at the national schools competition

The 2007 Schools competitions included several talented players among them Arnold Kipsang of Moi Forces academy. The development of rugby in none traditional schools such as MFA is a welcome addition to Kenya rugby.