POWER PLAYS

Zimbabwe’s rising super star Tinotenda Mavesere goes pro

By Zaahier Adams | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

The 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.

“Looking back, even the shorts I used to train with during lockdown were Sharks’ shorts.

“I thought I might get a contract at a smaller union, to be honest; never did I think of the Sharks. When I got the message that the Sharks were interested, I was really shocked.”

Mavesere’s accomplishments have not only made an impact on the talent scouts at the Shark tank but, more patently, on the people back home in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he is currently helping his national team, the Stables, qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The 22-year-old is a beacon of hope for the youth of the embattled southern African nation, with many young Zimbabweans now hoping to follow in Mavesere’s footsteps.

Despite a meteoric rise, Mavesere, who is a devout Christian, has remained humble and prefers to acknowledge the influence of the pioneers of Zimbabwean rugby at UWC, such as Njabulo Ndlovu, particularly as it was the latter that paved the way for his move to Cape Town.

“After we [Zimbabwe] won the Victoria Cup, our assistant coach Tonderai Chavhanga approached the former coach at UWC, Chester Williams, who offered me a bursary to study at UWC. Unfortunately, shortly after that, Williams passed on and the process was disturbed. I then spoke to a friend and brother, Njabulo Ndlovu, who was a senior player for the Stables. He had attended UWC so he said he would help me. I sent my CV and video clips to the sports administration at UWC and after playing trials in a pre-season, I got the bursary,” he notes with glee.

“I really wanted to further my studies. It was something I prayed about. Fortunately, God blessed me that opportunity to play the sport at a high level while being able to do my studies. It was a privilege. It was something that I was working towards. I really put in the work during the lockdown and it’s just happened.

“That was my journey and now I have been receiving calls and texts from younger guys who are looking to come and study at UWC. It’s something that Njabulo and others have done for us, [they have] opened up doors for us. We’re also opening doors — not just rugby doors.

“There are a lot of guys who are interested to come and learn here. My cousins are also looking at UWC. For the past two years, UWC has been more popular here in Zimbabwe than it ever was before.

“Coming from Zimbabwe, you can’t just come 3 000 kilometres to play. Back home in Zimbabwe, people are really going through tough times. So I see me being at UWC as an opportunity to better my life and be in a state where I can support my family. The guys that come down are really serious and want to make a difference and an impact. It really is something we take seriously whenever we are here.”

Having been recruited into the professional ranks by the Sharks, where he will now rub shoulders with Zimbabwean and Springbok World Cup-winning legend Tendai “Beast’ Mtawarira, Mavesere’s rugby-playing days at Udubs may be a thing of the past.

What is abundantly clear, though, is that every time Mavesere ran out in the famed blue-and-gold jersey, he was not just playing for the 14 men alongside him but gave his heart and soul in a bid to inspire an entire generation back home that dreams do really come true at UWC.