BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – Former Zimbabwe rugby international Allan Mdehwa has earned a place in Australia’s Over-40 Men’s Masters team following stellar performances for his club and state in the past season.
Also known as the Australian Classic Legends, the team will play in some invitational matches in Australia and abroad before end of year as well as in 2023.
The side was named after completion of the Pan-Pacific Masters Games in Queensland last week. The yearly multi-sport event is a mini-Olympics for the over 30s and 40s in Australian states and New Zealand’s provinces as well as the rest of the Oceania region.
In rugby union, 47-year-old Mdehwa’s Victoria lost in the final to New South Wales by two points.
At club level, Mdehwa turns out for Eltham Rugby Club in Victoria. In the past season, he finished as the club’s top try-scorer with an average of three tries per game, playing centre.
The towering former Harare Sports Club lock-forward and Zimbabwe Sevens great, who lives and works in Australia, occasionally also plays with the 30s side of the Masters section at his Victoria club.
“I have found out that I was fit enough to play with the young guys so sometimes play in the lower age-groups, which is very competitive, Mdehwa told SportsCast from Victoria.
“I had an opportunity to play with my son in an Old Boys match, where we had a competitive game. I’m 47, but I feel 27. It’s a good feeling to be able to play, show and inspire young people to take up rugby and sport seriously. It is also good for retired players to stay active, it has positive impact on their health and mental well-being. I’m a very big advocate of healthy living, as you know that once you are above 45, you start experiencing a lot of issues with your health. So keeping fit is one of managing diseases that are associated with age.”
Zimbabwe Sevens legend Mdehwa also a handful of caps for the Sables at lock, his regular position in the premier format of the sport.
Meanwhile, the Australian Classic Legends could play against the South Africa Legends in Zimbabwean capital city Harare in the first few months of 2023, we have been told. Details will be released in due course.
