HIS inclusion in the Zimbabwe Under-19 squad might have come as a surprise to some, but Mudiwa Manhombo certainly lived up to expectations with sterling performances during the Under-19 Africa Cup tournament held at St George’s College last week.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
Manhombo (18) was one of the bright spots in the highly-talented Young Sables squad, which was unlucky to miss out on a spot at next year’s Junior World Rugby Trophy to rivals Namibia.
Starting at outside centre in both matches against Kenya and Namibia, Manhombo had an outstanding tournament, which was capped off by a brilliant try in the last game. His running game was a feature throughout, as were his defensive skills both in tackling and in one-on-one situations.
“My experience of being part of this team was like no other. I mean, having been away in South Africa for so long, I was happy to be playing with people from the same place as me,” Manhombo told NewsDay Sport.
“I was able to relate with them. I will truly miss them and if another opportunity of being part of the national team comes again I will gladly accept it.”
Although unheralded in local rugby circles, Manhombo came into the Young Sables side with a very high reputation from South Africa. A former Peterhouse College student, Manhombo represented Zimbabwe at the 2010 Under-13 Craven held in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Although only 13 years old then, Manhombo showed enough promise to be awarded a scholarship to study and further his rugby development at St Benedict’s College in Bedfordview, Johannesburg.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“I was at Peterhouse College and after the Under-13 Craven Week I was awarded a 100% scholarship at a Catholic High School in Johannesburg. I accepted the offer to see how far I could take my rugby career,” says Manhombo.
Five years after making the move, Manhombo’s career seems to be heading in the right direction, having earned provincial colours in South Africa.
In July he was selected for the Golden Lion’s squad, which won two of its three matches at the South Africa’s provincial Under-18 Coca-Cola Academy Week held in Vanderbijlpark.
His selection for provincial honours in South Africa was the culmination of a sterling season for St Benedict’s College after helping the Catholic-run school finish last season ranked an impressive 18th in the South African schoolboy rugby rankings.
“My school team (St Benedict’s College) finished 18th in the country at the end of the season, beating some highly-ranked teams in the process. It set me up for selection into the Golden Lions squad for Under-18 Coca-Cola Academy Week, which was an amazing experience. I played outside centre during the tournament and we lost only one game to Western Province,” said Manhombo.
Now after playing provincial rugby in South Africa and representing Zimbabwe at Under-19 level what does the future hold for him?
“Well I’m hoping to carry on with my rugby next year in university, hopefully get a scholarship as well. I’ve been trying to go overseas, mainly England, where I hope to make a name and a living there. If that doesn’t work out I still have an opportunity in South Africa. However my main goal at this stage is to help the team qualify for the Junior World Cup because I will still be eligible next year,” he said.
