Vusumuzi DubeMehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
IT is every parent’s dream to have their child selected to represent their country at the prestigious rugby Youth Weeks in South Africa.
For Chris Mtungwazi, a Bulawayo businessman and sports administrator, it came as a surprise when his son Irvine made it into the Zimbabwe Under-14 national rugby team for this year’s Under-13 Craven Week to be held at the end of this month at Monument High School in Krugersdorp in South Africa’s Gauteng province.
What amazed Mtungwazi is that his son had never played rugby prior to enrolling at Christian Brothers College where he is in Form One.
The youngster, who plays wing in rugby had however, been actively involved in sport from the age of seven with his interest being in athletics basketball, cricket, football and tennis.
He was previously at Baines Junior School.
“I am surprised, it’s quite an honour for him to represent his country.
I just hope that he is going to be able to carry on up to the national level.
Irvine is a person who likes to participate in sport, he has been in a football academy, the Young Flying Stars since the age of seven, so I was looking up to him to play football, but I am surprised that he is now playing rugby, he has only been playing rugby for a couple of months but he made it into the first team of the Under-14s here at CBC and then went on to make it into the Matabeleland team and then later on into the Zimbabwe Under-14 national team,’’ said Mtungwazi.
He believes that enrolling him at the Young Flying Stars Academy is what ignited his love for sport.
“I am proud of my son, I think he is a complete sportsman because he is also involved in athletics, he is champion Under-14 at shot-put, he is also a good sprinter and also part of the relay team here at CBC.
He is also a keen cricket player and also plays basketball.
What I did to him, to put him in an academy at such an early age made him into a complete athlete because even at CBC here he plays in the Under-14 A soccer team, he plays in the Under-14 A basketball team and Under-14 A cricket team,’’ he further added.
Mtungwazi’s desire is to see his son continue to excel in sport while at the same time focus on his education.
“I just hope that he will be able to continue with his sporting prowess and also be able to balance it with his education as well.
We as a family we are proud of our son, we think that he has achieved way beyond our expectations and we wish him the best for the future,’’ said Mtungwazi.
Asked if there is any history of rugby players in the family, Mtungwazi said he played the sport in Form One at Gifford High School while some of his brothers did play at club level.
“I played rugby in Form One when I went to Gifford, his three uncles played for Gifford, one of them Adrian played for the Gifford High School first team.
He had two uncles who were at Milton Junior who played club rugby for Busters.”
On what playing sport has done for his son, Mtungwazi feels it has contributed immensely to his discipline.
“Sport has helped him become a better individual, I think even in class he is doing better since he took up sport, his grades are better now, they have improved.
In terms of discipline he is now a better boy, he does not hang around with the wrong people because most of the times he is doing his sport,’’ the father said.
Seeing that Irvine plays a number of sports, Mtungwazi wants to allow the lad to continue exploring before eventually settling for the sport he prefers.
“He plays quite a number of sports, at this juncture, I don’t know which sport he can do, I am sure he is capable of being a good sportsman in the three sports that I have mentioned, cricket, rugby and football.
I’ve said to him, he must enjoy playing, he is young and as time goes on, he is going to pick whatever he feels he is better at and what he is advised by his coaches to pursue and what he really wants to pursue.
I tried to make him play football but he says for now he wants to play rugby so basically it is his choice and the coach’s advice,’’ Mtungwazi said.
John Sibanda, the CBC Under-14 rugby team coach described Irvine as a promising rugby player.
“Irvine Mtungwazi is one of our bright prospects here at CBC, he made it into the provincial squad for Matabeleland Under-14s and we went to Harare, he also made it into the Zimbabwe national team,’’ Sibanda narrated.
What makes Sibanda proud is the fact that the youngster started playing rugby at CBC and believes the boy is destined for big things in the sport.
“The beauty about Irvine is that he started playing rugby here at CBC, he never played rugby, he never has any background relating to rugby and in terms of where I see him going, I think he has got a bright future ahead of him, he is very young and full of passion, zest and talent,’’ the coach said.
Sibanda views Irvine as a fast learner and that should see him go all the way in rugby.
“He is a quick learner, going forward those are the major attributes that are going to contribute to him becoming a very good rugby player.
Him making it into the Zimbabwe Under-14 squad is quite an inspiration to other boys who haven’t played rugby who have seen him go through the ranks and getting nominated as one of the prospects for the Zimbabwe national team,’’ said Sibanda.
The 13-year-old is delighted to get a chance to don national colours at such an early age.
“It’s amazing, it’s an honour to play for my country, I am very proud to be playing for my country Zimbabwe, I would like to carry the flag high, as high as possible,’’ remarked the lad.
On what he enjoys about the sport, Irvine said, “The passion in the game is amazing for me, everything about rugby is just amazing, I hope it takes me as far as possible, that would be amazing for my career.”
Considering that he was in the early days of playing rugby, Irvine never thought he could get selected into the national team.
Now that he has made it, he wants to fly the Zimbabwean flag high in South Africa and get recognised by scouts.
“Since I am a rookie I didn’t think I will make it into the Zimbabwe national team, all in all I am excited, hoping for the best in South Africa.
I want to make my country proud, make myself, my parents, my friends proud and also get a scholarship in South Africa,’’ he said.
The lad who plays as a striker in football sees his future in football or tennis.
For now, Irvine’s focus is on going to South Africa and doing his country proud at the Under-13 Craven Week.
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