Zimpapers Logo

GLASGOW. — “I remember crossing the whitewash and just looking up to the heavens and thanking God . . . then I went in for a scrum.”

Panashe Muzambe chokes back the tears at the memory of sitting in a hotel lobby, the day before her Scotland debut.

She stumbles at recalling the surprise, the overwhelming emotion, but most of all, she vividly recites the phone call to her father, letting him know his little girl from Zimbabwe was set to represent her adopted nation at rugby.

“I’ll enjoy it for both of us,” she says.

The 24-year-old’s story is a powerful tale of courage, determination and love.

Courage to live without her mother in Africa for five years before an emotional reunion at Gatwick Airport ahead of their new life in Scotland.

Determination to do all she can to make her family, in both countries proud, and love for a game she didn’t play until she was a teenager.

Oh, and for Serena Williams.

To celebrate Black History Month, Muzambe tells BBC Scotland her story.

“I was born and raised in Zimbabwe,’’ she said.

‘’First, I was brought up by my aunties, and uncles, while my dad was working so a lot of my extended family played a massive role in my upbringing, and that’s very common for us.

“We joke about how family, for the black communities is everyone, so anyone’s auntie or uncle.

“Then at 12 me, my father and brother, got the opportunity to comes across to Scotland, and we had a nice family reunion at Gatwick airport.

“I can remember it vividly, it was March and it was a little bit cold. I say a little bit I mean very cold!

“It was very challenging, but we needed to embrace that because mum was doing the best for us. It meant I could go to school, it meant we had food on the table, it meant a lot of things.

“Then it was literally, come to Scotland and get enrolled into school, and I think that really stressed the whole importance of education for my parents.

“It was like, we’re not here to play around. We didn’t get a tour of Scotland, we didn’t get a tour of Edinburgh.

“When I was at Napier University they were starting a new rugby team and I literally rocked up at where they were doing a try session with a pair of trainers.

“But, from that day I was hooked. We played a lot of tennis in Zimbabwe. So the girls would play tennis throughout the term and, for me, it was Serena who stood out because not only did she look like me, you know, but she was so powerful.

“And, I just wanted to emulate the smallest amount of strength that she showed on the court.’’

Then, her rugby coach intervened.

“But, my rugby coach at Napier, who was playing for Scotland, spoke to me and was like ‘Nashe, I think you could do something.’

“Because, I didn’t know rugby that much, I didn’t actually know if I was good at all.

“I just felt like I was there having a kickabout every Wednesday. It was extra motivation to take a second look at myself.’’ — BBC Sport.