adminMbachi Mutukula- Maregere Sports Reporter
COMMITMENT has made Sables vice-captain Tichafara Makwanya into the player that he is today. The former Prince Edward School boy was inspired to play rugby by his late brother Tendai. He was also good in football. Makwanya is now a fly-half at Old Hararians where he is one of the top players. He is very skilled and has transformed himself into one of the influential players in the team and also for his country.
He started playing rugby in 2001 when he was in Form One at Prince Edward as a lock.
“I played lock in my first game for PE Under-14 against Peterhouse and we got beaten 23-0,” said Makwanya.
Makwanya could play many positions for his school side.
“I used to enjoy changing positions, back then I played a bit at flank but moved to prop in Form Two,” said Makwanya.
“What shocked everyone was that I used to be the kicker in the team, skills which I picked up from my football playing days in junior school.
“During the second term I moved to fly-half and was a success there, rose up the ranks as I progressed and was picked for the Tigers in early 2004 for a tour to South Africa alongside two other guys from our Under-16 team (Masimba Rutsate and Keenan Marais).”
Makwanya went on tour as a substitute but came back as a star as he was chosen as the captain for the Tigers following his fine performances.
His proudest moment came at the beginning of 2006 when he was chosen to captain the Tigers in his final year in high school having played for Zimbabwe Under-18 the previous year. ‘
He made it into the Craven Week team that year as vice-captain and he was also in the team that won the Under-19 Africa Cup and qualified for the 2007 Under-19 World Cup in Ireland.
Makwanya became the captain for Zimbabwe Under-20 team in 2007 which lost to Namibia in the final of the Africa Cup.
The fly half made his Sables debut in 2009 at the Africa Cup group 1C in Botswana where they gained promotion to 1B and they progressed to group 1A and managed to win the Africa Cup in 2011.
Online Reporter