adminBunye, as we called Nicholas John Burnett at Zimbabwe Schools Under-18, was a very talented, brilliant young man who touched our lives, albeit, briefly.
I had the privilege and honour of coaching this young man who was intense and brilliant on and off the field.
What was different about him from the brilliant loose forwards that I have coached over the years was that he was equally at home in the second row and would on any day match the multitudes of good second rowers I have coached over the years too.
As a youngster in 2012 in East London during the Craven Week Under-18 festival he managed to play all three games in his first year and his never-say-die attitude ensured that in a game we lost against Limpopo Blue Bulls, we still managed to score four tries. I was alarmed this year when there was a possibility he might have pulled out of Craven Week because of swimming and when this didn’t clash, as the technical team, heaved a huge sigh of relief.
In his first game against Griquas, his defence was intense and the amount of ball he carried forward ensured that we won the game. He took this into the Limpopo Blue Bulls game, a team that had put 61 points the year before on us.
In this game the 43-5 win over Limpopo for him, and the other senior players, wasn’t enough as they wanted 50 points or more.
The disappointment on Bunye’s face was unbelievable given the fact that we had convincingly won that game — such was the nature of this young man.
In pain, after a knock he took in the Limpopo game, he ran on the field against Namibia and he lasted five minutes in that game after he took a knock on the same shoulder in the third minute. This was the first time in two years that I saw Bunye call a time out “coach it’s too sore”, and after marshalling our defence, in the first two games, we were exposed and the Namibians ran away with the final game.
That was the true value of Bunye to the Craven Week Under-18 team.
I still believe had he been 100% fit we were going to win that game.
He is the kind of player who was always refreshingly confident, something that doesn’t exist in players anymore, but all this is now just in our minds. He always had a smile on his face, was hardworking and was an accomplished athlete and this is also the same reason he did so well as a swimmer. Bunye was one of those players who, if he wanted to make it as a professional athlete, would surely do so.
He was a special boy and I am sure he had scholarships waiting for him as one of the junior swimmers.
He was a popular kid with the team (Under-18) and everyone liked him.
It’s so difficult trying to understand why him at such a young age.
The true value of a person is never seen really until they are gone.
As we weep for Bunye, the point is that we only knew a part of his life (rugby).
He was the same with his swimming compatriots from the reports we saw and heard. He was a good student at St John’s College and Max Madziwa (former Sables player and St John’s College coach) speaks highly and confidently of Nick.
So respectful, I enjoyed coaching him over the last two years and the way he played in this year’s Craven Week showed how much of a talent and an asset he was to Zimbabwe rugby.
It’s always difficult to understand why the young are taken away from us, however, we know God always has a plan.
Bunye fly high young man, rest in peace and we will miss and always cherish the memories.
Godwin Murambiwa is the Zimbabwe Under-18 schools rugby coach.
Online Reporter