Former Bok Chavhanga hangs up boots

ZIMBABWE-born former South African rugby star wing Tonderai Chavhanga has called time on his professional career which lasted 12 years.
Chavhanga, one of the finest rugby exports by Zimbabwe now based in Durban, South Africa yesterday confirmed that he had retired from the sport, having last played a competitive rugby match for the Sharks Vodacom Cup team at the beginning of this year against the Eastern Province Kings.

The 31-year posted a passionate statement on his Facebook page last Friday thanking all those who had contributed to the success of his rugby career. Some of the individuals that got mention are Themba Mliswa and Gerald Maguranyanga for introducing him to rugby.

“The wise King Solomon said for everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven”. My season on the rugby field has come to an end and it is now time to embark on a new journey that I am anxiously excited about. I have retired from rugby, I am moving to animations. I can’t speak much about the animation yet. I last played competitive rugby early in the year for the Vodacom Cup team. No coaching plans at the top level but will probably do a bit of coaching in the schools,’’ said Chavhanga.

A product of Prince Edward School in Harare, Chavhanga has, despite his progress hampered by knee problems which saw him over the years operated three times on his left knee and once on the right one, turned out for South African teams that include Free State Cheetahs, Stormers, Western Province, Golden Lions as well as the Natal Sharks. He spent a few years in Wales where he played for Newport Gwent Dragons. At national team level, he played for South Africa Under-21, South African Sevens, Springboks where he earned four caps between 2005 and 2008 as well as the Emerging Springboks.

A wing blessed with immense speed which saw him being touted as the fastest rugby player in the whole world at his best, Chavhanga will always be remembered for the six tries he scored on debut against Uruguay in 2005 against Uruguay in a 134-3 victory for the Springboks. That still remains a record number of tries scored by an individual for the Springboks in a single game.

Last year, former Springboks coach Jake White, the man who handed him his international debut gave Chavhanga a second chance when he signed him up for Sharks. The speedster represented the Durban based side in Super Rugby and Currie Cup. He was in the plans for the Sharks Currie Cup season but did not play due to knee problems.