Goofy’s journey: How a reluctant player became Zimbabwe’s rugby hero

FROM rugby hater to African champion, Kudakwashe “Goofy” Nyakufaringwa’s journey is nothing short of inspirational.

Growing up in a rugby-obsessed family, Nyakufaringwa was introduced to the sport by his uncle, the legendary Arnold ‘Tuks’ Takawira. Despite being surrounded by rugby greats like Victor Olonga and Gilbert Nyamutsamba, Nyakufaringwa initially found rugby unappealing.

However, his perspective changed during his secondary school years at Milton High, where he discovered passion for the game. Today, Nyakufaringwa is a proud member of the Sables and attributes his success to the guidance and support of his mentors.

“Goofy is a mixture of a lot of people. Goofy is a mixture of Arnold Takawira, Victor Olonga, Gilbert Nyamutsamba, and obviously my parents, who are superstars in their own way. Credit to my daughter and my wife. It’s just a mixture of hard work and a lot of things. Credit to Milton rugby, Warriors, you name it,” he told Saturday Chronicle.

The Africa Cup-winning star said that growing up, they lived rugby, which was another reason he was not initially fond of the game. But as he grew older, he began to appreciate the game more and fell deeply in love with it. Now, nothing can separate him from rugby.

“I never played rugby at primary school. I only played it at secondary school when I was at Milton, but credit to Tuks, the great Arnold Takawira, my uncle who raised me.

We grew up in a rugby house; it was always rugby, whether you liked it or not. You trained, played, ate, and slept rugby. So, I hated rugby growing up because it was a must. But after Arnold Takawira passed away in 2010, I took it up more seriously.

I have been to a couple of places, but I credit Bulawayo; that’s where my rugby began. “At home, training was mandatory; it was not an option. It was wake up, train, eat, and sleep rugby, so I never got the idea of independence.

I felt like it was something I did because I was forced to. But later, I realised that I was actually doing it because I loved it. When you have a choice now, it’s a different feeling,” said Nyakufaringwa.

Goofy, as he is fondly known, was part of the Sables team that made history at the 2024 Rugby Africa Cup held in Uganda in July. It was their first continental victory in 12 years, and along the way, they beat old foes Namibia in the semi-finals, their first victory over the Welwitschias in 23 years.

He was also one of the two players from Bulawayo, alongside Bornwell Gwinji, in the history-making Sables team. For him, these achievements are the results of hard work and determination. Winning the Africa Cup was a feeling like no other for him.

“It’s a pleasure to represent Bulawayo and Matabeleland, with only two players, me and Bornwell Gwinji. Other than that, it’s a testimony to hard work and persistence. Winning the Africa Cup was an unreal feeling. We are so happy that we got the cup, but we are not trying to get comfortable. We know it’s a long journey after that, but for now, we are rejoicing.

“I am happy that I won a medal with Zimbabwe. It’s big; it hasn’t been done in 12 years, and we beat Namibia for the first time in 23 years, so that on its own is amazing,” he said.

Despite boasting an illustrious career, Nyakufaringwa has faced many challenges, chief among them an injury that nearly ended his career. Despite this, he never backed down and managed to return to the field to do what he does best.

“One thing I can credit to myself and a couple of people is consistency and hard work, sticking through a couple of injuries, having a knee operation, and being told I would never be able to run again. But from that and still going into camp, credit to whoever believed in me, to still bring me into the system, and now being an African champion, it’s something else,” he said.

Saturday Chronicle also caught up with one of his mentors, Nyamutsamba, who said seeing the young boy he watched grow up go all the way to lifting the Africa Cup was one of his proudest moments. For ‘Gidza’, as Nyamutsamba is known, it was a feeling like no other.

“When it comes to young Goofy, he is a player that I saw growing up. He would come to Busters and just watch, not even being part of playing because he wasn’t confident enough. But we ended up seeing him lift that Africa Cup. It’s something which was a proud moment in my career.

It’s something that I will also hold in great value because he’s a player that I saw at a very young age, at a non-playing age, right up to being an African champion.

“Yes, there are a number of players like that we have seen through, but this one is a bit more special because of where we have come from and how far we have come,” said Nyamutsamba.

He added that seeing Gwinji rise through the ranks to become an African champion was yet another proud moment. He believes that the two boys’ stories should inspire many aspiring rugby players.

The 2024 Africa Cup that Goofy won with the Sables served as the first stage towards qualification for Australia 2027. The final qualification tournament is pencilled in for next year, where only one of this year’s semi-finalists will be able to book their ticket to the global showpiece.

Goofy has his eyes set on helping Zimbabwe qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1991. “We are going to go to the World Cup. Three years from now, we will be at the World Cup. That’s all we can think about now.

Tunnel vision. All that we are thinking about is the World Cup, going back to the World Cup since 1991. I want to be part of that story,” he said.
@brandon_malvin