Zimbabwe: An Ankle Injury Shattered His Career, but Not His Dream

He was born and bred in Mufakose, where football was the natural choice for most kids growing up in this high-density suburb of Harare.

But, Kuda Mutenda did not go by the wind, as he fell in love with rugby, instead.

Of course, Mufakose is a suburb that is famous for producing great footballers like the late Joel “Jubilee” Shambo, Stanley “Sinyo” Ndunduma (late), Achieford “Chehuchi” Chimutanda (late), Clayton Munemo, Memory Mucherahowa, Mike “Mabhurugwa” Abrahams, Charles “Star Black” Kaseke and Khama Billiat.

But, not all kids liked football.

Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, various sports programmes promoted the growth of other minority sports like tennis and rugby in the high-density suburbs.

That’s how Mutenda was exposed to rugby.

By the time he enrolled with Prince Edward for his high school education, Mutenda was not only an ardent rugby fan but a player as well.

Sadly, his career was cut short at 16, thanks to a nasty ankle injury.

But it was only his playing career that ended and not his vision.

“I always had this desire to have as many people as possible playing rugby,” he says.

“When we were growing up there was a lot of rugby in schools and the facilities were there.”

Back in the 1990s, there were over 50 schools in Zimbabwe playing competitive rugby.

Schools like Mutare Boys, Plumtree, Allan Wilson, Milton, Churchill, Lomagundi, Chinhoyi, Prince Edward, Cranborne High, Morgan High, Lord Malvern, Oriel Boys High and Ellis Robbins played some nice rugby.

“There was always a debate on which team would win a match.

“Because the facilities which were there, rugby was played in most government schools, and that increased the pool of players playing rugby across the country,” reckons Mutenda.

Sadly, a handful of schools now play the game competitively.

Prince Edward, St George’s, St John’s, Peterhouse, Falcon, Lomagundi, and Churchill are some of the few schools still in the game.

“This is not ideal because rugby should be for all. It’s not an elite sport, it should be a mass sport,” remarked Mutenda.

After years of travelling across the globe, and gaining more exposure to proper rugby development systems, Mutenda is now embarking on a journey that seeks to “return rugby to the people”.

He is the man behind the upcoming Mwana Group International Rugby Festival which kicks off at Prince Edward next Sunday.

Over 120 primary and secondary schools will converge at Prince Edward for the weeklong tournament that will be capped by the Sables’ first match at home in about three years.

Zimbabwe will play Zambia in a trans-Zambezi derby, to draw the curtain down on what looks to be an exciting rugby fiesta.

The school’s rugby festival has a rich history in the country.

From the 1980s when the United Bottling Company used to bankroll the event, up to 2019 when the festival was sponsored by Dairibord.

In between, there was the David Whitehead Rugby Festival (1988 — 1997) and the popular Cottco Rugby Festival (1998 — 2013). Mwana Group has taken over the mantle.

“Our motive is to take rugby back to the people,” says Mutenda, who is the chief executive officer at Mwana Group.

“We want to re-energise rugby and make it a mass sport.

“The government schools are coming to play, the Mission schools are coming to play, the girl child is coming to play, former Group A schools are also coming to play.

“It’s rugby for everyone, munhu wese ku rugby.”

School rugby is fundamental in the development of the sport as it provides the foundation from which the national team can be built.

Interestingly, the demise of schools’ rugby has coincided with the Sables’ waning fortunes.

The last time Zimbabwe qualified for the World Cup was back in 1991.

Coincidentally, that was the time when school rugby was still thriving.

“From more than 50 schools that played competitively back in the day, we now have about eight schools contributing towards the national teams.

“If you look at the Under-20 side, the players are coming from less than five schools. The pool has shrunk. This is not sustainable for development.

“Now we are competing against South Africa who have more than 200 schools playing good rugby. So the issue is about the pool.”

For Mutenda, the numbers will do the trick if Zimbabwean rugby is to return to the apex.

He believes Zimbabwe can qualify for the next World Cup if school rugby is taken seriously.

“Because we have very few people playing rugby it means also that few people will come to watch and support.

“And the corporates will not come where there are less numbers. They will come and put in money where there are thousands of spectators because that’s how you market your brand.

“So our festival is trying to widen that pool of people playing rugby. Let everyone play rugby.”

The idea to sponsor the rugby festival was born after Mutenda attended a rugby match at St John’s last year.

“I went there with my family and we had a nice place to sit. We had some nice drinks and nice catering, it was comfortable and the place was clean. I was happy.

“But I discovered something and I was like where are the people, vamwe varikupi, hama dzedu dziri kupi.

“I grew up in Mufakose where there are a lot of people and I told myself surely, this is not how rugby should be.

“So I said to myself, let’s revive the schools’ rugby festival,” revealed Mutenda.

His experience at last year’s World Cup in France also inspired the idea of revitalizing grassroots rugby.

“It’s easier for me to pick my cooler box and then go and watch some rugby at a nice school, enjoy with my family, and then come back home.

“But for the growth of rugby, this festival is important. I am 100 percent confident this revival of schools’ rugby will take us back to the World Cup.”

Mutenda is not a prophet, but he is so sure Zimbabwe will soon qualify for the World Cup. He thinks the country can win the Cup in the future.

“Zimbabwe will win the World Cup in my lifetime. People are very shy to declare that we will go to the World Cup.