BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
ONCE she called time on her rugby career back in 2015. But now the Zimbabwe Lady Cheetahs captain Margaret Magwaro is back to lead the team back to the upper echelons of African rugby where it once was.
A fortnight ago Magwaro and the national women’s rugby sevens team made a statement at the Africa Cup qualifying tournament in Lesotho winning all the four matches without conceding a single try to grab the sole ticket to the African safari.
The Lady Cheetahs kicked off the tournament by thrashing the hosts 62 – 0 before dispatching Namibia and Botswana 39 – 0 and finishing off the competition with a 25 – 0 victory over Mauritius.
The former Zimbabwe women basketball team captain reflects on the performance and the team’s goals.
“For us we have a target to be in the top four in Africa. This is where the team used to be before and this is the goal for us. We are trying to get to this level again,” Magwaro told The Sports Hub.
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“We had one goal as a team, which was to qualify for the Africa Cup. We had quite a lot of pressure because it was a must win tournament and coming from a break from a Covid-19 forced break into a pre-qualifying tournament it put pressure on the team.
“We have played on a higher level as the Lady Cheetahs and we dropped on the rankings in the past few years and now we are trying to go back to that stage,” added the 39-year-old multi-talented athlete.
The Lady Cheetahs’ next assignment is competing at the Africa Cup.
“It’s hard for you to say this is what you want because with rugby there can be surprises and anything can happen and any team can spring a surprise.
“But I see the Lady Cheetahs going far if we are supported and funded well. Funding will help players earn a decent living from the sport and attract more players to come and play the sport,” Magwaro said.
For Magwaro it has been an interesting journey from playing basketball and captaining the national team to becoming a force in rugby.
Growing up at a farm offered an escape from boredom for young Magwaro and the love of travel fuelled the passion.
Apart from sport, the athlete has a passion for cooking while she possesses a Masters’ degree in Accounting and Finance.
“When I was young, sport was everything because we grew up on a farm and we didn’t have much entertainment so sport was my go to area for entertainment. I can’t say I was good at it, but I have put so much effort and hard work when it comes to training and participating.
“I started playing basketball and we would travel and represented the provincial team while at Mutare Girls High. I think travelling was my other dream, which led me to sport and apart from sport I love cooking but I am not a good cook.
“I have always dreamt of starting my own restaurant or a coffee shop so eventually I know I will get to that stage, so this is my other dream. I am also an accountant with a Masters degree in Accounting and Finance, but you know with the situation in Zimbabwe getting a job is hard. At the moment I am unemployed, but I am trying to fund myself through other things like piggery, chickens and also selling clothes,” Magwaro said.
Interestingly, the Lady Cheetahs captain has more achievements and accolades in basketball than rugby.
“I have played basketball at the highest level you can play in Africa. I have played two All Africa Games competitions that Zimbabwe has qualified to, in Algeria and Mozambique. I have gone to the Zone Six Fiba Africa qualifiers many times.
“I have captained the national team for some years, I have captained my club, I have won about nine national championships and basically I have more achievements in basketball than any other sport.
“I am still playing basketball. My first club was Cameo, thats where I started from high school then I changed a bit to Stanbic and Varsity Leopards, but at the moment I am playing for Vixens, with Vixens it started in 2014. We were the pioneers. So I am still there and we are hoping to win the championship this year,” she said.
In rugby, Magwaro started off at Old Hararians and has been part of the team since, but had a brief spell at Old Georgians last year