Chronicle Editor
TENDAI Mtawarira has praised South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus for helping players from all backgrounds to feel comfortable within the Springboks set-up.
The Springboks suffered a number of dismal results in 2016 and 2017, losing to Italy for the first time as well as falling to their largest ever defeat of 57 points to the All Blacks.
Erasmus was able to quickly change the Springboks’ fortunes when he took over as head coach and director of rugby in 2018.
Just 17 months after his first game in charge of South Africa he had led them to winning the Rugby World Cup.
Mtawarira, fondly known as ‘The Beast’ was speaking to World Rugby about that transformative period of time for the Springboks and credited Erasmus for facilitating more open discussions around race and diversity.
“Everybody used to just tiptoe around this issue and it actually probably hindered us from more success back in the day because it wasn’t full addressed. When Rassie came in, we spoke about it,” Mtawarira explained.
“Everybody felt comfortable because Rassie was like, we need to achieve a team that is fully representative of how diverse this country is.
We need to have inclusivity and everybody needs to feel comfortable, you know, in the team culture.
“Mythical stuff that was kind of clouding the team from being successful was starting to be removed, you know, slowly.
“So that’s what I felt like, the Springbok environment became more comfortable for everybody, you know, especially people of colour. And for that fact, that’s why we could go on this journey with guys being themselves.
“You could see on the Springbok bus that guys were singing. Beforehand, that was not something that black guys could feel comfortable doing.”
Mtawarira, who was born and raised in Harare in Zimbabwe, took a major risk when he travelled to Durban in South Africa to join up with the Sharks in 2006.
The future Springboks prop did not have a professional contract with the Sharks at the time, and did not have much in the way of financial means when he arrived in Durban.
“I remember leaving home with just a backpack with a few items of clothing and my boots and R2 000 (€122) and a discman. And that was it,” Mtawarira said.
“I boarded that Greyhound bus to Durban with a dream and I was prepared to die for that dream.” —Pundit Arena
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