Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
KUDZAI Mashawi felt his heart thump the moment Zimbabwe’s name came out of the bowl at last week’s 2027 Rugby World Cup draw.
One second he was watching quietly.
The next he was hit by a wave of pride, nerves and sheer disbelief as the Sables were thrown into the same pool as England, Wales and Tonga.
“Yeah, it was obviously heart-warming, there was a lot of excitement, nerves here and there and a great sense of pride hearing your country get called out at a World Cup draw,” he said.
“It was an amazing feeling, I just wish we were there, physically, so that we could absorb everything. It’s been something like 30 years since Zimbabwe were at a World Cup and now we are here.”
That moment lit a fire.
Zimbabwe were the first name pulled in Pool F and dropped straight into a group packed with power and history.
England and Wales headline it.
Tonga lurks in the shadows, waiting for a chance to punish any mistake.
It is the kind of draw that sends shock waves through any team daring to imagine a miracle.
England and Wales will revive their old rivalry, the same pairing that once sent the hosts crashing out of the 2015 tournament.
Ireland and Scotland will also renew hostilities in another pool.
Uruguay and Portugal, who stole the hearts of fans in France last year, sit in Pool D.
And South Africa wait on the opposite side of the draw, ready to face whoever survives the chaos.
Mashawi looked at all of it and refused to flinch. He knows the giants. He knows the odds. He is choosing defiance.
“I think all the groups are equally tough and there is no easy route,” he said. “The big guns like New Zealand, England, Australia and South Africa will obviously go into the tournament as favourites, and rightly so.
“However, that gives the underdogs a chance to make history and pull off a couple of shocks here and there.
“England is going to be a tough match up for us, they are a formidable opposition for any team that they face. Wales and Tonga are both tricky teams, but we are looking forward to challenging ourselves against them.
“Preparations will be key and our ability to take our chances on the day.”
That underdog energy is feeding him.
Mashawi has carried the Sables through qualifiers.
He sits in the leadership core. He knows the spotlight is coming, but he refuses to get carried away.
Twenty two months stand between now and the World Cup. Anything can happen. Anyone can be dropped.
So he is taking the hard road.
“At the moment, it’s all about keeping one’s head down, staying focused and putting in the work,” he said.
“If my body is ready and the call up comes, then I will definitely answer. For now, I’m definitely looking forward to putting my name up to get a chance to represent Zimbabwe at the World Cup.
“So, the work is being put in, whether in the gym or on the field. If everything goes well and the coach (Piet Benade) picks me, then I will definitely be there in Australia.”
He hears the noise. The hype. The fear. The hope.
Mashawi is shutting it all out and choosing sweat over talk.
The giants of world rugby are coming and he wants to meet them head on.
