Zimbabwe feeding the world with top talent
THE sight of Don Armand trotting on yesterday to become the latest Zimbabwean to play Six Nations rugby will have aroused mixed emotions in the rugby folk in Harare, Matabeleland and various other rugby outposts ‘back home’ as Zimbabwe continues to feed top players into other national squads while they themselves struggle.
The tradition of Zimbabweans playing in the tournament goes back to 1892 when W B Thomson – from Matabeleland but playing for Blackheath – appeared at full-back for England against Wales and has continued apace in the professional era.
At one stage Scotland did a nice line in Zimbabwean forwards with lock Scott Grey and prop Paul Johnston and most recently back rower David Denton, who possibly found time in Rome last night to compare notes with the Marondera-born Seb Negri,who has enjoyed such a fine tournament for Italy.
Centre Dave Curtis starred briefly for Ireland in the early 90s while Andy Marinos, another centre, was a useful recruit for Wales in 2002. Marinos incidentally is now the chief exective of SANZAAR who administer both the Super Rugby competition and The Rugby Championship.
It’s when you look to those Southern Hemisphere giants and in particular the Tri-Nations and Super Rugby competitions that your heart really begins to weep a bit for Zimbabwe.
The exodus from the country has included the likes of Springboks Ray Mordt, Gary Teichmann, Brian Mujati, Adrian Garvey, Tendai Mtawarira and Bobby Skinstad while Tonderai Chavanga was a talented wing who perhaps didn’t quite fulfill his full potential.
It also goes without saying that Aussie great David Pocock has been a loss along with another Wallaby Kyle Godwin.
And the next ‘Zimbo’ to be capped by another nation? I wouldn’t be surprised if England turn to Dave Ewers in South Africa this summer.