Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
A BRITISH MAN, a Dutch woman, a Zimbabwean boy and a British soldier walk into a house.
It sounds like an old pub joke, yet it is simply a snapshot of life inside the Pattenden home, a family stitched together by different passports and one son who has chosen to plant his flag on Zimbabwean soil.
Andrew Pattenden carries his British lineage with pride, Juliette brings both Zimbabwean and Dutch ancestry, their eldest son Matthew serves in the British army and their youngest, Benjamin, has chosen a path that now leads straight into the heart of Zimbabwean rugby.
That decision felt even weightier recently when the 23-year-old former Junior Sables forward watched Zimbabwe’s name drop into Pool F for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
England, Wales and Tonga now stand between him and the dream he has chased since childhood.
For Pattenden, those matchups are personal.
“I am obviously thrilled that we were drawn with England and Wales,” he said.
“It is going to be tough, that’s for sure, but that was always going to be the case no matter who we were drawn up with.
“It is really cool to have been drawn up against Wales as I went to college there, at Swansea University, and I am half English through my dad. I have supported England for many years, with Jonny Wilkinson one of my favourite players of all time. To play or even watch England play against Zimbabwe will be very cool.”
He does not want to watch from afar. Pattenden wants the Sables jersey on his back, the anthem in his chest and a seat on the plane to Australia.
His caps so far have come in the Under-20 ranks and with the Zimbabwe Goshawks in the 2023 Currie Cup First Division.
Yet the Grid Cup shifted the conversation. Playing for Sun Rays last month, he stepped into the spotlight as if he had been waiting for someone to nudge him towards it.
He and Taddy “Boxer” Dzandiwandira tore through defences on their way to lifting the inaugural trophy and finishing the tournament unbeaten.
Their final against the Impis was a thriller, Sun Rays edging it 38-34 with tries from Boxer, skipper Dion Khumalo, winger Takudzwa Francisco, Andrew Rinomhota and Pattenden.
Dzandiwandira nailed a drop goal, while Pattenden added two conversions and a penalty.
That performance pushed the young fly half into a position Zimbabwe has struggled to fill.
Ian Prior and Lenience Tambwera still carry the load, but time is creeping up on both of them.
With the World Cup less than two years away, new blood is not only welcome; it is needed.
Pattenden believes he can be that next option and he has already turned down another national pathway to prove it.
“One of the things that people don’t really know about me is that I have a Dutch passport and had the option to play for the Netherlands, but I have decided to stick to my roots,” he said.
“I have chosen Zim, and I want to represent Zimbabwe. I made this decision years ago, but Zimbabwe qualifying for the World Cup has only given me this newfound hunger to try out and wear that Sables jersey. It was an amazing achievement; it really united the rugby community here.”
His commitment has come with sacrifices.
As a student, he has only joined Sables camps during holidays, which limited his availability for Test matches. He hopes that changes soon.
“I have been training with the Sables when they assembled their local-based players. Being a student has limited my time with the team as I could only come through during the holidays. That has limited my involvement with the team for any Test matches, but I do hope to make my senior debut soon,” he said.
Born on November 27, 2002, he grew up in Zimbabwe, learning his rugby at Hellenic Academy before heading to Swansea University.
Today, he turns out for Old Hararians (OH), a choice that sparks good-natured tension at home.
“I don’t come from a predominantly rugby family, but my dad did play for Harare Sports Club. He is one of my role models as he got me into the sport and taught me a lot. I assume it pains him that I play for Old Hararians as it is the rival team of his former club,” he said with a chuckle.
His rugby story already carries a few bright chapters.
He points to winning the Paramount title with OH, the recent Grid Cup triumph and Zimbabwe’s 2022 victories over Canada and Chile at Under-20 level.
Those memories sharpen his hunger.
“It was really awesome to get the opportunity to represent my country and, as underdogs, beat two nations that were thought to be quite a few steps ahead of us at that level,” he said.
“Other big milestones include the recent Grid Cup, which was great to win. We had great crowds throughout the tournament; the draft initiative brought a new and exciting dimension to our rugby. I see a bright future for the tournament.”
Now the next step is in front of him.
As 2026 approaches, Pattenden is chasing a place in a Sables side heading towards the biggest stage in world rugby.
The dream feels close enough to touch, and he intends to reach for it with both hands.
