Ex-Kenya international and ref Mark Riley was a loyal servant of rugby
The Nondescripts RFC team that took part in the 1980 Indian Ocean Tour.
What you need to know:
- He was an all-rounder in sport and showed this by almost making the British Olympic team in the pentathlon
- He returned to East Africa in 1974 and being the gifted sportsman that he was joined one of the top rugby teams in the country then, Nondescripts
- It was no surprise that he became a regular pick in the East Africa Tuskers, a team composed of the best players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
Mark Riley was born on April 23, 1950 in Kindelako near Tabora in Tanganyika, now Tanzania.
He attended Stamford School and RMA Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. He was an all-rounder in sport and showed this by almost making the British Olympic team in the pentathlon.
He returned to East Africa in 1974 and being the gifted sportsman that he was joined one of the top rugby teams in the country then, Nondescripts.
A gangly six-foot plus forward, Mark together with his twin brother Jonathan, formed one of the most solid locks combination to grace local rugby. It was no surprise that he became a regular pick in the East Africa Tuskers, a team composed of the best players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Memorably, in the Tuskers tour of Zambia in 1975, he stood out with his brother as they effectively dealt with ex-British Lion lock Peter Stagg in a match against Ndola Wanderers.
A year later, both Rileys again took care of Stagg when Nondescripts played Zambia in Nairobi. In fact, it is only Nondies that inflicted defeat to the Zambians on their tour of Kenya as Scorpions and East Africa all lost to the tourists.
During Kenya’s tour of Zambia in 1978, Riley was named Man of the Match in their semi-final match against local side Roan Antelope Club. Kenya eventually won the tournament and the trophy sits proudly in the RFUEA cabinet.
Riley captained the Scorpions team that played Zimbabwe in their inaugural tour of Kenya in 1981.
In the 1982 Tuskers tour of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Rob Be trams tour report said: “Mark Riley distinguished himself first with a solid locking performance partnering Max Muniafu in the test against Zimbabwe at the Police Grounds. Their partnership was extended to the line-outs where the tourists won a fair amount of ball or dispossessed the Southern Africans of ball won. After the Tuskers match against Matabele in Bulawayo it was Riley who piloted the plane to Salisbury in horrible weather.”
Interestingly, Riley lost in two consecutive Kenya Cup finals playing for Nondies against Nondies.
In the 1978 final, Nondescripts Lions lost to Nondescripts Tigers and again in the final a year later.
Back in those days, some teams were allowed to field two sides in the competition. If any consolation, Riley featured in the Nondies teams that retained the Enterprise Cup in 1978 with an emphatic 39-0 win against old enemy Kenya Harlequins, and 1979 with an emphatic 48-3 victory against Quins again. It remains, to date, the biggest winning margin in the history of the competition.
For his outstanding service, Mark Riley was awarded the Nondescripts honours cap in 1980.
He led Nondies on a tour of Seychelles and Mauritius “the Indian Ocean Tour” that year and also guided them to the Kenya Cup for the third time in a row, together with retaining the coveted Enterprise Cup for a record sixth time. Few captains in Kenyan club history have matched this feat.
Riley retired from competitive playing in 1986 and moved to refereeing, rising to become chairman of the Kenya Rugby Referees’ Society. He also served as secretary of Nondescripts, Scorpions, Kenya Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football Union for East Africa.
He passed away on Monday in Cornwall, England where he lived with his wife Sue.
Okong’o is an East African rugby historian.
