Ashly Dhani
Petros Kausiyo
Sports Editor
THEY may not have played for the Sables, but the quartet of Tendai “Beast’’ Mtawarira, Tonderai Chavhanga, David Pocock, and Adrian Garvey are now using their big international profiles to promote the national team brand on a global scale.
This comes after Zimbabwe-born Mtawarira, Chavhanga, Pocock, and Garvey were named Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU)’s ambassadors.
And their immediate task is to use their leverage to try and help rally support for the Sables and ensure Zimbabwe returns to the World Cup stage when the next global rugby showcase explodes in France in 2023.
Mtawarira, Chavhanga, and Garvey starred for reigning World Champions South Africa before calling time on their international careers, while Pocock shone brightly for Australia.
ZRU president Aaron Jani said the appointment of the quartet was in line with their vision.
Jani and his executive have made qualification for the World Cup their main priority since re-election.
The former Zimbabwe international insists that ZRU is still focussed on developing the game, ensuring the Sevens side return to the world circuit, and continuing with the revival of the women’s game, which has been rising steadily.
He described tying down Mtawarira and his compatriots as a “master stroke”, especially as the domestic game has been trying to make its mark in a nation where it is considered the third-largest sporting discipline after football and cricket.
ZRU settled for the new ambassadors following recommendations from teams that have been trying to market the Sables brand.
“These were basically recommendations from our marketing teams. The idea was to set a platform for our World Cup Rugby campaign for 2023.
“We wanted to launch a new Sables brand that would become the beacon for professionalism for all our brands. The ambassadors definitely bring focus on the Sables, attracting not only rugby fans but also aspiring young potential Sables and, of course, to bring credibility to the cause with all our potential corporate partners and individuals.
“In our view, this has been a master stroke judging by the interest that it has generated,’’ Jani said.
Interestingly, the appointments of Mtawarira and Pocock come at a time when the pair has just been named in World Rugby’s team of the decade.
Former South Africa loose-head prop, Mtawarira, was early this month named in World Rugby’s Team of the Decade for the period 2010 to 2020, which confirms his status as one of the best players World Rugby has ever had.
Mtawarira’s heroics were at the heart of the Springboks’ World Cup success story in Yokohama, Japan, last year, in which South Africa powered to a 32-12 win over England in the final, to claim their third World Cup crown.
He made his way to the exclusive Team of the Decade as part of the World Rugby Awards Special Edition.
Former Australia flanker, Pocock, also made it into the Team of the Decade.
Pocock was born 32 years ago in Gweru before moving to Australia.
The former Australia captain called time on his professional rugby career after 15 years.
He retired from international rugby after 78 Tests, following the World Cup last year and he elected not to see out the final year of his playing contract in Japan.
Upon his retirement, Pocock told the media that he is hoping to continue in grassroots rugby in Western Australia and in Zimbabwe.
“Rugby has given me so many opportunities,” Pocock said in a statement.
“From a start at the Western Force to my years at the ACT Brumbies and the Panasonic Wild Knights, I am so grateful for the community each of those clubs provided me and the skills I was able to develop,’’ Pocock said.
During the official launch of the Sables World Cup campaign, where the new jersey which the national team will don for their qualification campaign was unveiled, Pocock sent a video message of support to coach Brendan Dawson and his men, as did Mtawarira.
Chavhanga and Garvey went a step further as they flew into Harare for the launch, where they underlined their commitment to ensuring they help Zimbabwe regain its status as a rugby powerhouse on the continent.
Regarded as the fastest rugby player of his generation, Chavhanga made his Springbok debut as a 21-year-old in 2005, where he set the current South African record of six tries in a test match.
Starting off his career with the Cheetahs Under-19 and Under-21s, Chavhanga went on to represent South Africa Under-21 and South Africa Sevens before moving to the Stormers and Western Province for six seasons in 2004.
In 2010, he moved to the Lions in Johannesburg for two years before a switch to the Gwent Dragons.
The year 2013, saw the four-times capped Springbok returning to the Cheetahs for the Currie Cup.
He has already worked with the Sables as one of Dawson’s assistants.
Garvey has had the rare privilege of representing two countries — South Africa and Zimbabwe — at the World Cup.
He played as a tighthead prop and was known for his mobility and ball skills.
During his time with the Sables, he played three games at the 1991 World Cup, scoring two tries during the 51-12 loss to Scotland on October 9, 1991.
According to his impressive resume, Garvey, nicknamed “Turbo Prop”, was the archetypal modern forward, combining deft handling skills and pace with ferocious scrummaging.
His incredible speed for a tight forward is evidenced by the fact he played Sevens rugby for Zimbabwe at the Sicily and Lisbon Sevens tournaments in 1993.
Later that same year, he went to live in South Africa and won selection for the South African Barbarians tour of the United Kingdom.
He debuted for Natal in 1994 and played for them until 1999, accruing an impressive 109 caps for the province.
He won his first Springbok cap in November 1996, aged 28, at tighthead prop against Argentina in Buenos Aires, and soon established himself as a key member of that side’s front row.
Garvey’s finest performance is often regarded to be during South Africa’s 1997 victory over England at Twickenham, where his try in the 40th minute was the turning point of the match.
The Bulawayo-born Garvey decisively won his personal duel with England hero Jason Leonard in the front row, giving the England prop a horrendously torrid time in the scrum, as well as being a constant threat to the English defence at the fringes of rucks and mauls.
He was a key member of the Springbok team that won the 1998 Tri-Nations and enjoyed a run of 17 victories in succession, equalling the world record.
During that record-breaking run, the Springboks defeated Australia, New Zealand, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Italy.
Other career highlights were his two tries for the world-famous Barbarians invitational team in 2001 against Wales at the Millennium Stadium, including a try for the Barbarians against England a week later.
Garvey played his final match for the Springboks against Spain at Murrayfield during the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
In his career, he won 25 caps for Zimbabwe (1991-1994), scoring 4 tries; and played 28 tests for South Africa (1996-1999), scoring 4 tries with an impressive win record of 86 percent.
Garvey joined Newport Rugby Club in Wales, scoring a try on his debut in August 2000 against Bristol, and became an iconic figure for the Black and Ambers, memorably scoring a try in the Principality Cup Final win against Neath at the Millennium Stadium in May 2001 (Newport’s first Cup final triumph for 24 years).
He retired from rugby in 2004.
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