BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – Tendekai Mataranyika has become one of the latest Zimbabweans to fall under a familiar, yet common sporting career “crisis” because of two sporting codes of the country: cricket and rugby.
Which professional path will he take?
The bespectacled teenager represented Zimbabwe earlier this year at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, making quite an impression as a spin bowler and middle-order batsman.
And now, the multi-talented Peterhouse College sporting star has been selected in Zimbabwe’s Under-18 rugby team for the Academy Week in Wellington, South Africa.
The squad, coached by Gordon Pangeti, was named on Monday afternoon.
Zimbabwe used to participate in South Africa’s Craven Week, but have been relegated to the Academy Week, a rung below South Africa’s iconic provincial schools tournament. They take place simultaneously at one venue annually.
This year, Wellington, a town in the Western Cape, is hosting.
Mataranyika becomes the latest Zimbabwean to represent the country at the highest youth representative level of both cricket and rugby, in the same year.
In the image accompanying this article, Mataranyika is pictured in January this year in his Zimbabwe Under-19 “number one kit” for the Youth World Cup in the Caribbean. He is the son of prominent Zimbabwean entrepreneur Philip Mataranyika.
Meanwhile, the Young Sables squad for the Wellington trip is captained by Falcon College skipper Luke Pritchard, the young brother of Zimbabwe Test star Connor Pritchard.
ZIM UNDER-18 RUGBY SQUAD
Tatenda Gonese (St John’s College), Giardiano Sarpo (St John’s College), Tawanda Machawi (St John’s College), Sam Edwards (St John’s College), Allan Mawunga (Prince Edward), Luke Pritchard (Falcon College; captain), Grey Pechey (St John’s College), Zvinodaishe Bere (St George’s College), Cody Grant (Falcon College), Andrew Robinson (St John’s College), Emmanuel Magutakuona (Peterhouse College), Daniel Erasmus (St John’s College; vice-captain), Edward Sigauke (Lomagundi College), Graydon Fourie (Hellenic), Kholwani Moyo (Falcon College), Tatenda Runyowa (Falcon College), Mufudzi Magadzire (St John’s College), Gary Muchengeti (Lomagundi College), Tinashe Mudanga (St George’s College), Tanyaradzwa Takaendesa (St George’s College), Connor Grant (St John’s College), Brandon Mudzwiti (St George’s College), Vuyani Ncube (Falcon College), Connor Burnett (St John’s College), Tawananyasha Bwanya (Kyle College), Tendekai Mataranyika (Peterhouse College), Campbell McMillan (Peterhouse College), Michael Mavhera (Lomagundi College).
Non-traveling reserves: Thabani Ndlovu (Falcon College), Samuel Nyikavaranda (St George’s College), Adiel Mugoro (Peterhouse College), Brandon Mbaiwa (Watershed College), Tanaka Mupamhadzi (Lomagundi College).
