Tendai Mtawarira confirms retirement as he secures first coaching role

Friday, 03 July 2020 at 09:10

bySteven Smith

The Sharks will be able to rely on the expertise of a true legend to bring the next batch of front row forwards through.

While the powerhouse has finally hung up his playing boots, he is ready to put on a tracksuit and start helping young players in Durban.

Mtawarira was born in Zimbabwe but played 117 times for the Springboks in a storied career which came to an end after the World Cup final against England in 2019.

The beast, speaking to historian and author Dean Allen – as part of a hugely popular weekly fund-raising effort for the Chris Burger and Petro Jackson Players Fund – confirmed that his playing days are finally over.

“After winning the World Cup I was looking for an exciting experience to cap off my career,” he said of the stint in America.

“Having a chance to grow the game globally was really exciting to me.

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“It was going well until COVID-19 came along and ruined it all.

“That was probably my last season. [It was] not ideal to finish that way.”

He has also joined the corporate world, being unveiled as a shareholder and CEO of newly launched Umlindi Security, which is a subsidiary of Fidelity Services Group.

Mtawarira was also offered a scholarship to pursue his postgrad by the Henley Business School Africa, the scholarship is meant to help athletes transition from the sporting world into the business world after retiring from sports.