POWER PLAYS
Zimbabwe’s rising super star Tinotenda Mavesere goes pro
By Zaahier Adams | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela
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he University of the Western Cape (UWC) has always prided itself in being an African university at the very tip of the continent. That reputation is now being enhanced through a young man’s herculean efforts on the rugby field. A Bachelor of Arts (BA) student, Tinotenda Mavesere has been a revelation ever since “trekking 3 000 kilometres” south from Zimbabwe last year. Mavesere, also affectionately known as “The Driller” to his teammates and the opposition, created waves in the rugby fraternity with every barnstorming performance in this season’s Varsity Cup for Paul Treu’s much-improved UWC outfit. The powerfully-built flank certainly turned heads in the clash against the Nelson Mandela Bay’s Madibaz when he crossed the white-wash for a hat-trick of tries, including a bollocking individual effort that saw him literally run over three defenders. Such unique power and pace certainly doesn’t go unnoticed, especially in today’s world of social media, and Mavesere was instantaneously transformed into an internet phenomenon. His rising stocks soared even higher when he was awarded the “Forward That Rocks” at the culmination of the Varsity Cup, leading to a breakthrough professional contract with Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s Sharks franchise in KwaZuluNatal, a deal which seems to have been written in the stars. “It’s funny how growing up, my first rugby clothing was a Sharks’ vest,” Mavesere tells Blue & Gold.
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