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THIRTY months after quitting international rugby, Harare Sports Club winger, Tafadzwa Mhende, has come out of retirement to play for the team he loves.
A serious leg injury forced Mhende out of the game for three years in August 2010 having a broken leg in the final of the Castle Sevens rugby tournament in Zambia where Zimbabwe beat Northern Region 19-12 to lift the Cup.
“I have retired from international rugby and I will just be concentrating on club rugby and if I am to be chosen for the national selection squads, I am going to opt out and I guess this means no more international rugby for me,” Mhende told The Herald in May 2013.
“The coaches persuaded me, it was after my performance in the league final between us (winners Harare Sports Club) and Old Georgians that they approached me and said I still have what it takes to be part of the Sables family.
“At first it was difficult for me to accept the offer and despite the fact that I knew I had played some wonderful rugby I was surprised when I heard they want me back for the Hong Kong tournament.
“So going to Hong Kong is a well deserved bonus for me because I know I had been training hard though this season I only played from the second half of the league season,” said Mhende.
Following his near career-ending injury Mhende spent more than a year in crutches before he was advised to take up coaching in 2012 and was the assistant coach of Harare Sports Club before he was appointed Zimbabwe Undrer 16 Sevens coach the same year.
“It was difficult for me to just leave the game through injury because I just want to leave (playing) the game on my own terms but I would like to thank clubmates Tolerance Zishe and Daniel Hondo who encouraged me to go to gym and bang, here I am back in the game,” said Mhende.
“At the moment I would say I am only back to the Sables for this tour but my performance in Hong Kong will determine if I will continue. . .I also need to give the younger players a chance.”
Online Reporter