ZIMBABWE rugby team lock forward Jan Ferreira has become the second local player to play in the top flight Spanish rugby union league after joining Aparejadores Rugby Club ahead of the start of their new season.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
The 27-year-old former Matabeland Busters forward penned a nine-month deal at the club based in Burgos, 200 km north of Madrid. [adrotate group=”6″] South Africa-based loosefoward Lambert Groenewald, who won the Vodacom Cup title this season with the Mpumalanga-based Pumas, played for the Madrid-based AMPO Ordizia Rugby Club between 2012 and 2013.
Ferreira, who was officially presented to the Spanish media yesterday, said he was excited with the new challenge.
“The level of competition here is quite good; these guys are full of passion and flair. Obviously rugby is still a fairly new sport in Spain and they are still a couple of things that they are still getting used to but there are three of four Australians in the side and they bring in a whole new dimension,” he said.
The former Falcon College student said the move to Spain was not the end of his international career, as he would make himself available if called up to the Sables.
“I think there are going to be a few lessons learnt while I’m here. I’m on a nine-month contract, which runs until May and obviously if Zimbabwe Rugby Union gives a call I’ll be very keen,” he said.
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Ferreira, who was part of the Sables squad which narrowly missed out on qualification for this year’s Rugby World Cup to be held in England, missed the just concluded Africa Cup where Zimbabwe lost in the final.
Zimbabwe’s flagship national rugby side, the Sables look set to get more game time this year after being invited to feature in a new four-team competition, the Hong Kong Cup of Nations to be held from November 13-21.
He could, however, make a return to the Sables fold for the Hong Kong Cup of Nations to be held from November 13-21.
