Mavesere, Sharks begin Vodacom United Rugby Championship journey

ZIMBABWE rugby prodigy, Tinotenda Mavesere and his South Africa Rugby Union (Saru) outfit, Hollywoodbets Sharks have shifted attention from the Currie Cup to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship with their first game lined up for this weekend.

With the dust hardly settled from their famous Currie Cup victory over the ADT Fidelity Lions on Saturday, the 25-year-old Sables loose forward and the Sharks have already shifted focus from their title-winning effort onto the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

The “Driller” as Mavesere is fondly known, was named in the Sharks’ 27-member squad that travelled to Europe on Monday. He was part of the Sharks team that won the EPCR Challenge Cup in May and recently, the Currie Cup. Mavesere was also instrumental in Zimbabwe’s Africa Cup success in July.

The 27-member Sharks squad left South Africa on Monday for Ireland where they will face Connacht in Galway on Saturday.

From there, they will go on to face Dragons from Wales on October 5 before they complete the three-match tour of Europe with a clash against Italian side Benetton a week later.

The Sharks’ travelling squad comprises 15 forwards and 12 backs. They will be captained by loose-forward, Vincent Tshituka.

Head coach, John Plumtree said although the Currie Cup is now behind them, there are valuable lessons they learned from South Africa’s prestigious club competition and that the team is in good stead as they embark on the intercontinental competition.

“I’m just really proud of the boys.

“Winning right at the end of the game is one of the moments that gives us confidence. The never-give-up attitude is something we’re trying to instill in the boys, so I’m really proud of them for the way they never gave up, even when it looked like the Lions had done enough to win,” said Plumtree.

Saturday’s Currie Cup victory was Mavesere and Sharks’ second this year having won the EPCR Challenge Cup in May to become the first South African team to taste success in Europe.

Plumtree added that winning two trophies in a short space of time is good for the group’s confidence.

“To have come to Joburg for the final, lost and then hop on a plane for Ireland wouldn’t have been great, fortunately, that’s not the case. So, we will all cherish the memory, of everyone who had a hand in getting us to the end.

“We’ve found belief but it’s going to be tough emotionally and physically getting off this high. The other job for me now is getting the players back down to earth because we know what a tough game we have in Galway.

“Connacht will be waiting for us, they’ll be excited about playing at home,” he said.

Scottish side Glasgow Warriors dethroned Munster from Ireland as champions of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship after they beat the Vodacom Bulls in the Grand Final in Pretoria on June 22, 2024. In 2022, the DHL Stormers became the first holders of the title by beating fellow South African team, the Vodacom Bulls in the final.

Four teams from South Africa, the DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, ADT Fidelity Lions and Hollywoodbets Sharks, are joined by 12 clubs from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the competition that first kicked off in September 2021.

All the teams are split into four conferences (Irish Shield, Scottish/Italian Shield, South Africa Shield and Welsh Shield) and the Vodacom Bulls won the SA Shield in 2024. Previously, it was called the PRO12 and later PRO14.

Sharks team for Vodacom URC:
FORWARDS: Corne’ Rahl, Dylan Richardson, Emmanuel Tshituka, Ethan Bester, Fez Mbatha, Gerbrandt Grobler, Hanro Jacobs, James Venter, Jason Jenkins, Mawande Mdande, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ruan Dreyer, Tino Mavesere, Trevor Nyakane, Vincent Tshituka (captain).
BACKS: Andre Esterhuizen, Bradley Davids, Cameron Wright, Eduan Keyter, Ethan Hooker, Francois Venter, Gershwin Wehr, Jordan Hendrikse, Jurenzo Julius, Lionel Cronje, Siya Masuku, Tian Meyer. – @brandon_malvin