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Tinashe Kusema
Deputy Sports Editor
HE holds the distinction of being one of the three blacks ever inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
The other two — Richard Tsimba, Zimbabwe’s first black player at the World Cup, and former South African president Nelson Mandela — are both late and so in a way, it is a singular distinction of sorts.
While he did not have an enduring rugby career, Kennedy Timba’s talents and reputation gave him a lasting legacy, fame and memories.
Apart from being a Hall of Famer, Kennedy is a multiple Currie Cup and Super Rugby winner, former South African Rugby Player of the Year, and also got the chance to star in six internationals for the Sables.
As Zimbabwe reflects on its rugby story after 40 years of Uhuru, there is no doubt that the Tsimba brothers will feature prominently, with Richard having starred for the Sables at both the 1987 and 1991 World Cup finals and scoring three tries for his country.
Seven years after, Richard was once again an integral part of the Sables side at the World Cup in England.
His younger brother Kennedy was later installed national captain.
But Kennedy somehow does not view himself as a legend.
“I am no legend, I am just a fortunate farm boy who has been blessed enough to get the opportunity to live out his dream.
“A dream he never knew he had in the first place,” said the 45-year-old retired flyhalf.
Although Richard passed away in tragic car crash in Harare in April 2000, Kennedy’s entry into rugby had also been somewhat accidental.
“Well, I grew up in Marondera where we had a farm right next to Peterhouse College.
“To me, rugby was not in the books, as I was more into music and the arts.
“It was only when my older brother, Richard, played at the 1987 Rugby World Cup, and being the only black player at the tournament, the spotlight was on him,” he said.
Their father died in 1976, when he was just two years old, and Richard being the oldest took up a fatherly role in Kennedy’s life.
“It was because of my brother’s exploits at the 1987 World Cup that the sportsmaster at Ruzawi Primary School approached me and asked me to try out rugby.
“I used to play with my brothers and ended up being a natural at the game,” he said.
Kennedy attended Eaglesvale and Prince Edward High schools, before playing club rugby for Old Georgians and Harare Sports Club, where he made waves.
He got a call-up to the Zimbabwe Sables for a World Cup qualifying campaign in 1997, playing six matches for the national team, scoring 72 points, with most points coming from his boot.
“I remember being called up into the Sables team, and given my small frame at the time, many people doubted my pedigree as a player.
“They just thought of me as Richard’s little brother,” he said.
Opportunities did not come as thick and fast as he would have liked, leading to a friend of him advising the flyhalf to try his luck in South Africa.
“I packed my bags, with no contacts, little hope of finding a team, but I had plenty of determination.”
It was in South Africa that fortune abundantly favoured him.
He joined Free State Cheetahs, later moved to the Blue Bulls, Griffons and had a stint and won a title with English side Bath City.
It is also during that spell in the UK that he won multiple Currie Cups, Super Rugby winners’ medals and the European Crown.
He was also voted SA Rugby Player of the Year in 2003.
Had he not featured for Zimbabwe, he could have broken into the Springboks.
Despite all his success, his greatest regret is that his brother, the “Black Diamond’’ as Richard was affectionately known, did not live long enough to see him play, especially after he had, in 1998, become the first black captain of the Sables.
“Regrets? I do have any.
“I regret, maybe, not qualifying for the 1999 Rugby World Cup and, maybe, retiring too early.
“I would have liked to have played with my brothers Richard and Martin in the same team.
“The Tsimba legacy will be remembered as pioneers of a unique brand of rugby and showing that the game creates values that go beyond the field of play.
“I remember Richard and how we used to watch rugby television matches obsessively, especially the early morning All Blacks matches,” he said.
Among his many cherished memories and highlights are the many trophies and accolades, not to mention his Hall of Fame induction alongside his late brother and South Africa’s political icon, Mandela.
“I cherish being inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame, captaining the Zimbabwe national team and getting the opportunity to win every Cup that I won with the clubs I played for.”
Not surprising is the fact that top of the list of highlights and memories are the many colourful personalities he met during his two-decades-long career.
Topping that list is World Wrestling Entertainment alumni and soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer, John “Bradshaw” Layfield.
“I am a huge fan of wrestling.
“Yes, it is all acting and stuff, but I admire the art itself, the storytelling that goes on in that ring.
“So imagine my joy when I met JBL, the self-proclaimed wrestling god, during my travels with the SA legends a few years back.
“Apparently, he is a huge fan of rugby and actually knew who I was.
“We talked a bit, found out that we shared a love for charity work and even went to his academy in Bermuda for a coaching clinic with his kids.
“That meeting and friendship ranks very high on my favourite memories in the sport,” he said.
The two have even gone on to make a pact that could see them play against each other on the rugby pitch and meet again in the ring.
“It is an idea I pitched to him a couple of times, and as far as I am concerned, the match is still on.
“We are just taking our time to get into shape, and it is taking longer than we both expected,” he said.
Rugby is still very much part of Tsimba’s life, as he is busy working as a defence, kicking and skills specialist with the University of Pretoria in the Varsity Cup.
He is also toying with the idea of getting into full-time coaching having been inspired by the exploits of the Springboks’ World Cup success, and more specifically Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, last year.
“Watching the World Cup and just seeing my former teammate in Rassie and now Jacques make such strides in professional rugby inspired me to say that I need to get back into the professional environment,” Tsimba earlier told a South African magazine.
“Now is a good time to enter the professional coaching field.
“When we played, we just had a forwards and backs’ coach; now you have attack and defence coaches and it is a good thing.
“I have not been involved in the professional game for about eight years or so.
“Going back into the professional environment would be a huge eye-opener because it has changed so much.
“It has become so detailed and intricate. Sports science is playing a much larger role. That is something that I have always enjoyed,’’ he said.
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