Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema-Zimpapers Sports Hub
DION KHUMALO has become something of a folk hero in Goromonzi, a rural town 32 kilometres east of Harare.
He is not yet spoken of in the same breath as Rachel Goromonzi, the celebrated field hockey star, or Olympic rower Micheen Thornycroft.
But in his community, the 22-year-old Sables forward has quickly grown into one of the most recognisable faces.
That rise began in July when Zimbabwe’s rugby team defended their Rugby Africa Cup title in Uganda and, more importantly, booked a place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia with that victory.
For Khumalo, the moment was life-changing.
“It’s just mind-blowing; to be honest, it has really changed my life,” he said. “Right now, I’m in Goromonzi and it feels like a lot of kids have suddenly ventured into sports because they see how successful it can be through me.
“Just the other day, I walked into a local store and people instantly recognised me and said, ‘That’s one of the guys who plays for the Sables.’ All of a sudden, I’m getting VIP treatment. Everyone wants to take pictures and chat with me.”
The attention is new, but Khumalo refuses to let it distract him.
“It has changed the way I look at life,” he said. “The World Cup is not the final destination, but a stepping stone. I dream of becoming a professional athlete. I don’t have the luxury of wasting time on things like drugs, partying and mischief.
“As a rugby player who wants to go pro, I have to be focused. Gym work, training, health, there are a lot of commitments. So, it has changed my life in a good way.”
Khumalo’s journey is remarkable partly because rugby was not even his first sport. He began as a sprinter, and dabbled in long jump, before stumbling into rugby almost by accident.
“I started playing rugby in primary school, around Grade One, at Borrowdale Primary,” he recalled. “The school team was short of players one day and the coach, Damba, asked me to help.
“He quickly explained the basics, where the try line was, that I should pass backward, and to just run whenever I got the ball.
“I was a pretty good sprinter, with the 80-metre and 100-metre dashes as my favourites. The coach told me, ‘You’re fast, so just go there and score.’”
Khumalo did exactly that. The team won, and the more he played, the deeper he fell in love with the game.
He took to rugby naturally and holds a rare distinction: He is the only player in the current Sables setup to have gone through every national age-group team.
He won back-to-back Barthes Trophy titles with the Under-20s in 2022 and 2023. He also captained Zimbabwe at both Under-14 level and briefly at senior level, when coach Piet Benade handed him the armband during preparations for the Rugby Africa Cup.
That moment symbolised the success of the “Grassroots-To-Greatness” programme run by Under-20 coach Shaun De Souza, which has developed talents like Khumalo, Edward Sigauke, Takudzwa Musingwini, Trevor Gurwe and Bryan Chiang.
Many more are on the way, raising hopes that by 2027, the Sables line-up in Australia could look very different.
And Khumalo might just be the one leading them out.
For now, he knows nothing is guaranteed.
“Being part of the squad that qualified doesn’t mean one is automatically going to the World Cup,” he said. “Everyone has to earn their jersey all over again.
“Luckily, we’ve already started preparing. Right now, it’s a lot of gym work and fitness, but it will pick up as the weeks and months go on.”
Behind the smiles and optimism, Khumalo carries quiet sorrow.
His father, Mbalekelwa, passed away in 2018 after a stroke and never got to see the man and rugby star his son has become.
“My role model is my late dad,” he said. “He motivated me, stood by me on and off the field, in good and bad times. He saw me rising, supported my dream, and was my number one fan. The way he was always there for me is why he is my role model and why I am here today.”
