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Zimbabwe is famed for its growing love for rugby, with the game increasingly getting adopted in Zimbabwean sporting culture. Zimbabwean rugby fans eagerly seek updates and the latest information on their favorite teams.
Over the years, the country has raised quite talented rugby players who have gone on to be successful in their careers. While some have dominated the local Zimbabwean rugby scene, some have gone internationally to make Zimbabwe proud in Europe and other countries.
Let us explore the best five rugby players from Zimbabwe, their records, and their achievements.
Tendai Mtawarira
Tendai Mtawarira, nicknamed the ‘Beast’, is one of the best rugby players to have come out of Zimbabwe and, in 2020, was announced as a member of ‘The Rugby Team of the Decade.’
Tendai was born in Zimbabwe and played rugby in high school. As of 2008, he had started playing for the Sharks in South Africa.
Due to the promise he showed, he was selected to join the Springboks, SA’s national rugby team. He played in the team till 2019, when he retired from international rugby. He was instrumental in the Springboks’ 32-12 win over England in the 2019 final.
He played 117 test matches for the team and is one of the most capped rugby forwards for SA and the 17th most capped forward in the world.
Takudzwa Ngwenya
Takudzwa Ngwenya is another Zimbabwe-born rugby player who has made a name for himself internationally. Starting his career in Zimbabwe, he played for Mashonaland Club and his high school team till 2003.
After relocating to the United States for college, he played for the Plano Rugby club and the Dallas Athletic Rugby Club in Texas. He tried out for the US Rugby Team, and his performances earned him an offer from a top French club, Biarritz.
He played for the club and the US team from 2007 to 2016 for the club. In his career, he scored over 100 tries and is one of the US best try leaders of all time.
Hilton Mudariki
Hilton Mudariki is a Zimbabwe-born rugby player who also plays for the national rugby team, the Sables. Born in Harare, he started playing rugby during his high school days in 2009.
He played professionally for Western Province from 2011 before joining the Zimbabwean U-20 team. After then, he joined the senior team, the Sables, in 2013 and has been a dazzling team member. Mudariki is also the current captain of the Sables.
He has played for second-tier English club Jersey Reds and has been a free agent since his contract expired.
Don Armand
Armand, born and raised in Zimbabwe, started his professional career playing for the Western Province team in South Africa. He joined the English team, Exeter Chiefs, in 2013 and still plays with the team.
He won the man of the match several times during his time there.
He was also named the Exeter Chiefs Supporters Player of the Year in 2016. Armand also played briefly with the English national rugby club and won 2 caps in his international games.
Armand has played 193 games for the Chiefs, scored 31 tries, and has been instrumental in helping the team win 6 Premiership Finals and the European Champions Cup of 2020.
Brian Mujati
Mujati, also Zimbabwe-born, played in the Springboks as a prop; however, he could not further his career with them as he was ineligible based on citizenship.
Mujati started playing professionally with the Northampton Saints in 2009. He won the Player’s Player of the Season Award in the 2010/11 season and came close to winning the Aviva Premiership Player of the Season.
He left the Saints in 2012 to join French side Racing 92, where he spent 2 years playing for the team and got over 50 caps. From Racing, he joined the Sale Sharks in 2015 before leaving in 2017 to join the Ospreys. He acquired a shoulder injury in his second season with the team, which forced him into early retirement.
From this list, it is obvious that Zimbabwe has a good pool of talents when it comes to rugby. These players have shown skill and grit in their respective careers and have added value in whatever capacity they played. Most of them are now retired for one reason or the other, but we are positive that rugby lovers will not forget them quickly.
We hope you loved our list of best players to come from Zimbabwe. What do you think of these players? Please drop your comments and let us know your thoughts below.
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