Zimbabwe-born Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira made his mark on South African rugby.
The Zimbabwe visit to Gqeberha on Saturday was a reminder of the players from that part of the world who have graced the Springboks. Superb players such as Ray Mordt, Gary Teichmann, Bob Skinstad, and Tonderai Chavhanga.
They all have a story, but the one I love is that of Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira, a true rags-to-riches tale.
When he won a gold medal at the 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph, he may well have looked back to the day his bus from Bulawayo pulled up in Durban, discharging him with no more than a backpack of essentials and a heart full of dreams.
In that backpack were shorts and T-shirts, and a pair of rugby boots. In his pocket was a R2000 cash gift from his dad. That was the total of the teenager’s worldly possessions as he contemplated the big, wide world on Boxing Day in 2005, Christmas having been spent on the bus trip from Zimbabwe.
