Sports

Rugby fraternity mourn departed KCB ace Onyango

Thursday, March 5th, 2020 00:00 | By
Kenya Simbas fullback Tony Onyango offloads the ball upon Senegal’s Jonathan Courtinard during a match at RFUEA grounds last July. Onyango died on Tuesday night after collapsing in his house. Photo/PD/ALEX NJUE

The Kenya rugby fraternity is in mourning following the sudden demise of KCB fullback Tony Onyango at his Ngong home yesterday morning. 

Onyango is said to have collapsed in his house on Tuesday evening moments after coming back from training and was pronounced dead a few hours later when medics arrived with an ambulance to take him to hospital.

The father of one was a revered fullback who also played for both Kenya Sevens and 15s (Simbas) after graduating from the junior ranks.

He featured for Kenya U19s in 2010 at the Africa U19 Championship in Abidjan, Ivory Coast before receiving his first Kenya Simbas call up under coach Michael ‘Tank’ Otieno during the Elgon Cup against Uganda in April 2012.

He would become a Simbas regular under coach Jerome Paarwater, playing for them upto 2018 at the Rugby World Cup Repechage tournament in Marseille, France.

Onyango got his maiden call to the Kenya Sevens fold during the 2013/14 and 2014/15 World Series seasons under coaches Paul Treu and Felix Ochieng.

He was also part of the East African Elgon Warriors that played against England Counties in Kampala and Nairobi in 2012.

An alumnus of Maseno School, Onyango first played for Impala Saracens before joining Strathmore Leos and was part of the Leos squad that reached the 2012/13 Kenya Cup final.

He moved to Homeboyz where he won the 2016 National Sevens Circuit before ditching them for KCB where he was part of the squad that beat Kabras 23-15 in last season’s Kenya Cup final in Kakamega. He leaves behind a wife, Maria, and a son.

More on Sports


ADVERTISEMENT