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Takudzwa Chitsiga
Sports Reporter
FELIX Mtawarira, father to South Africa’s Zimbabwe-born rugby superstar Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, believes his son’s recent inclusion into the World Rugby Team of the Decade is through hard work and dedication as he always dreamt of leaving a legacy.
Felix is still celebrating his son’s achievements and said he saw it coming after his son propelled the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory and he is now among the most capped players.
Felix, who is also an athlete in his own right despite an advanced age, is a member of Alexandra Sports Club where he goes to the gym and he also plays tennis.
He said he is very happy with how his son has made his family and the nation proud.
“For Tendai it was always like that. He is a goal-getter ever since he was growing up and I am happy that he has managed to reach this far.
“We are grateful that he has left a mark which many athletes would emulate for decades to come. I have always encouraged him but at times he is someone who works hard in everything he does,” Felix said.
Tendai managed to make the World Rugby Team of the Decade for the period 2010 to 2020 together with Wallabies superstar David Pocock, who also has Zimbabwean roots.
Nicknamed “Beast” since the age of nine when he was a student at Prospect Primary in Waterfalls, Tendai never looked back as his talent saw him being taken by Peterhouse from Churchill.
He went on to play for Sharks Academy where he graduated to the senior team and then made a mark for the Springboks.
Felix and his wife Bertha still resides at their modest Hatfield house in a road that has several personalities such as television show hostess Amai Rebecca Chisamba and former top professional golfer Clive Nguru (Snr) and he said Tendai’s inclusion in the World Rugby Team of the Decade will open fortunes for his son’s family.
“We are humbled and this goes to all the family as you know we are sports personalities as I am an ardent tennis player and (Tendai’s younger brother) Raymond was a keen rugby player before injuries ended his career while my daughter Lisa pursued education and is now based in Canada.
“Tendai always talked about leaving a legacy as he grew up and now I am starting to believe. I am grateful that the moment he said he wanted to pursue sport we never stood in his way but we supported him in every moment.
“You know from the humble beginnings he persevered and at times when you saw him putting a lot of effort it was unbelievable from the normal eye, but he would do that. At times when he invited us to watch some of his matches, you would see that he is after results and I vividly remember some two games which they lost whilst we were there and he was so dejected you could see that,” added Felix.
He also spoke highly of Tendai’s younger brother Raymond who went through the same path which his elder brother went through and narrated how they managed to convince him to pursue other avenues after he failed to make it in sport.
“For Ray it was a different story, as he was affected by injuries in the infancy of his career. I think what his elder brother has achieved is good for the family,” he added.
Having worked for a local cooking oil manufacturing company in a managerial post, Felix retired three years ago and is now running an agency that delivers goods sent from the Diaspora to families back home in Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter