Sables star Farai Mudariki seals French move
ZIMBABWE rugby star Farai Mudariki is set to make a return to toplevel rugby since parting ways with English Premiership side Worcester three months ago after reports in France that he has joined Pro D2 side USON Nevers Rugby on an initial short-term contract.
USON Nevers Rugby (also known as Union Sportive Olympique Nivernaise) are based in the city of Nevers in central France and compete in the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, the Pro D2.
Mudariki is not new to French rugby having spent two years on the academy roster of Top 14 club Olympique Castres before a stint at French third-tier side Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby in 2018.
The French newspaper
first broke the news that USON Nevers Rugby had sealed the signing of the 1.85m and 119kg 26-year-old Zimbabwean tight head prop as a medical joker on Thursday.
A medical joker is a common term used in French rugby for a player who joins a club as an injury replacement on a short-term basis.
“USON Nevers have recruited Zimbabwean right pillar Farai Mudariki as their medical joker. The USON will still receive reinforcements for the end of the 2020-2021 season,” said.
“After the arrivals of Fabien Witz, Philip Du Preez and Charlie Rorke, it is a right pillar who will join the workforce of Antwerp: Farai Mudariki, 26, who wore the colours of Worcester, in the English first division, since 2018. He had few opportunities to shine, due to injuries, and left the English club in November 2020."
The publication added: “The Zimbabwean international already knows French rugby, since he went through the Castres Olympique training centre for two years, before playing in Tarbes, in Federal 1 (2017-2018).”
According to the report, Mudariki could prolong his stay at USON Nevers if he impresses the club’s coaches during his stint. USON Nevers are looking for reinforcements in the front row in preparation of the departures of Georgian international Guram Papidze and Australian prop David Lolohea.
“Without competition for several months, Mudariki will probably need a few weeks to regain his rhythm. Mudariki is a massive upright pillar, with good moving quality. While Guram Papidze will join La Rochelle in the Top 14 at the end of the season and David Lolohea will take the path to fellow Pro D2 club Aix-en-Provence. Farai Mudariki could therefore extend his lease at USON if he convinces the staff by then.”
Mudariki has been a free agent after parting ways with the Gallagher English Premiership side Worcester Warriors three months ago.
The Sables star endured a difficult two-year spell at Sixways Stadium as his progress was hampered by a luckless run of injuries problems before the Covid-19 pandemic ended his hopes of earning a new contract.
He will be hoping to use the move as an opportunity to navigate his way back to the top echelons of professional rugby.
Mudariki’s return to competitive rugby will be good news to Zimbabwe coach Brendan Dawson. The gifted Zimbabwe-born and South Africa-bred front rower is a key member of the Sables side, which is aiming to qualify for the 2023 World Cup to be played in France.
He scored a try on his Zimbabwe debut against Madagascar in 2015 in a Rugby World Cup qualifier and now has 10 international caps.
His most recent appearance was in August 2018 against Tunisia in the Rugby Africa Gold Cup, a qualifying game for the 2019 World Cup.
Mudariki is the younger brother of former Jersey Reds scrum-half and Zimbabwe star Hilton Mudariki.