Zim rugby player Chibuwe makes his debut in Europe Ngoni Chibuwe

Takudzwa Chitsiga

Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE international rugby player Ngoni Chibuwe says he is happy to have played his first game for his Europe-based side Steaua Bucharest in Romania over the weekend.

The Mutare-born 25-year-old centre, who has been capped by both the Zimbabwe Sevens (Cheetahs) and national 15s (Sables) teams, said he is happy to have made his debut appearance in Europe.

“A massive honor to earn my first cap for alongside my brothers, really stoked, the work continues,” he said.

Chibuwe also got compliments from his former teacher and veteran rugby administrator Crispen Mhike who was once at Hillcrest when the then promising teenager’s career started to take shape.

Mhike, who was a selector of the national schools’ rugby teams for the Craven Week tournament for years before he moved to Heritage where he is now the head teacher, said for Chibuwe it was a matter of time before his career reached its full potential.

The former Mutare Sports Club Under-21 head coach Mhike had kind words for the player.

“We worked with the boy after he moved from Mutare Boys and he is such a disciplined youngster whom I believe will reach far,” said Mhike.

Chibuwe, who hails from Mutare’s high-density suburb of Dangamvura, attended Mutare Boys’ High School and later Hillcrest College before moving to South Africa to join the Sharks Academy side.

His professional rugby career, however, set off in 2015 after being drafted into the Sharks Sevens rugby team.

In the same year, he received his first Sables cap after being drafted into the squad for the Hong Kong Cup of Nations tournament and his career has been on an upward trajectory ever since as he went on to make the Sharks’ squad for the 2017 Currie Cup qualifiers.

Chibuwe has also recently established himself as a key member of the Cheetahs squad, playing a key role in the World Cup qualifiers before featuring in almost all the team’s matches at the global showpiece.

The 183 cm and 100 kg player has recently featured for Old Georgians locally and South African club Durban Collegians, who currently compete in the Kwazulu Natal Rugby Union (KZNRU) League.

Chibuwe is also heavily involved in the development of rugby in his hometown of Mutare after launching his rugby academy, Hearts of Stones last year.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey