adminFORMER Zimbabwe national Under-19 rugby team winger Terrence Kuvarega believes he has benefitted immensely in the two years he has spent in Australia where he is playing club rugby.
Kuvarega is in the country on a break and he has been in Australia since 2012, a stint he considers to have contributed positively to his rugby career.
The 24-year-old Kuvarega went to Australia in July 2012 to take up a contract with Lismore Rugby Club in New South Wales.
He later made a switch to Brisbane, Queensland at the end of that year where he took up a contract with Sunnybank Dragons where he was eventually spotted by his current rugby league club Brothers Saint Brendans who signed him up to play as fullback.
His latest club is a feeder to Australian National Rugby League side Brisbane Broncos. Kuvarega turned out for St Brendans who finished third in the XXXX Brisbane Southside Second Division Rugby League.
“There are a lot of good players there so that has improved my game a lot. We get a lot of Islanders so we get to play with good players,’’ said Kuvarega.
Since his move Down Under, Kuvarega has played at wing and fullback for the three clubs he has turned out for. A nifty backline player, Kuvarega does not even remember the number of tries he has scored in Australia, as he, in his own words, has been scoring tries for fun.
In Zimbabwe Kuvarega said he would play Sevens rugby for his Bulawayo club Matabeleland Busters.
On his availability for Zimbabwe, Kuvarega, a member of the Zimbabwe Under-19 side which qualified for the 2010 International Rugby Board Junior World Trophy in Russia, said he was willing to play for the Zimbabwe Sables provided there was willingness on the part of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union to pay for his airfares from Australia.
Kuvarega is due to return to Australia at the beginning of next year to prepare for the rugby league season which runs from March to September.
Bongani Ndlovu