Former Kenya Simbas lock on venture that led to his premature retirement
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 21.03.26. | 16:33
However, the former Kenya Simbas lock revealed that something more profound shaped his decision
Former Kenya Simbas lock Malcolm Onsando has opened up on his decision to retire from rugby at the age of 31, bringing to a close a career that had seen him feature across Kenya, Africa, and Europe.
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In a candid video shared on his Instagram, the towering forward admitted that his decision was ultimately driven by a deeper calling beyond the pitch.
“So why did I hang up my rugby boots at the age of 31?” Onsando posed.
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“I had captained my national team, had a pretty good contract playing in Europe, had great prospects for the future, and then I just walked away. The short answer is, my knees gave out,” he said with a laugh.
However, the former Kenya Simbas lock revealed that something more profound shaped his decision.
“In all seriousness, something bigger happened. Between international games in Kenya, Africa, and Europe, I used to love travelling in the off-season. The summer break we would get in Europe, I’d be out seeing the world,” he explained.
That exposure ignited a new passion.
“I fell in love with travelling. I fell in love with the world, but I didn’t want to be the only person to have this experience. I wanted to be able to share it with as many people as possible,” he explained.
It is this passion that led to the birth of his travel venture, Hippy Safaris, a project he says gives him the same fulfilment he once found on the rugby field.
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“So, I started Hippy Safaris. I built a team not to score tries, but to get people travelling. I wanted to get people to see the world.
Go visit the Eiffel Tower and see it with your own two eyes, get amazed by the mosque cathedrals scattered throughout Spain, or even just take a safari in Kenya and track a few lions,” he said.
“I want people to see the world and get an opportunity to experience it, not just how I got to, but even better,” he continued.
Before calling time on his career, Onsando was plying his trade in Romania with Timișoara Rugby Club, having joined the side in 2023 after an earlier stint with CS Dinamo București.
He moved to Europe following the 2018 repechage tournament, beginning his professional journey abroad in January 2019.
Onsando’s rugby journey began in Nairobi, where he attended St. Mary's School, Nairobi, before continuing his education at Culford School.
At club level, he featured for Kenya Harlequin and later for Brixham Rugby Club, where he was part of the Devon RFU Senior Cup-winning side in 2017.
After graduating in 2017, he returned to Kenya and broke into the Simbas setup in 2018. He marked his international debut year with a try against Namibia during the 2018 Rugby Africa Gold Cup.