Tendai Mtawarira facts for kids

Tendai Mtawarira (born 1 August 1985) is a famous Zimbabwean-South African retired professional rugby union player. He played for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby and was a key player for the South Africa national team, also known as the Springboks. He also played for the Sharks in Super Rugby. Tendai was born in Zimbabwe but later became a South African citizen. He is a prop in rugby and is widely known by his nickname, Beast.

Quick facts for kids
Tendai Mtawarira

Mtawarira in 2008
Full name	Tendai Mtawarira
Date of birth	(1985-08-01) 1 August 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Harare, Zimbabwe
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	120 kg (260 lb; 18 st 13 lb)
School	Churchill School Peterhouse Boys' School
Occupation(s)	Rugby union player
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loosehead Prop Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2020 Old Glory DC 2 (0) Correct as of 5 December 2022 Correct as of 7 July 2019 Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 2007–2019 Sharks 159 (30) Correct as of 7 July 2019 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2008–2019 South Africa (tests) 117 (10) 2010 South Africa (tour) 1 (0) 2014–2015 Springboks 2 (0) 2016 Springbok XV 1 (0) Correct as of 3 November 2019

Tendai Mtawarira made his first appearance for South Africa on 14 June 2008. This was in a match against Wales. He has played 117 test matches, making him the most capped prop in South African rugby history. He is also the fourth most capped Springbok player ever.

He is a 2019 Rugby World Cup winner, a huge achievement in rugby. Off the field, Tendai runs a security company in South Africa. He also has a community group called The Beast Foundation.

Early Life and Rugby Start

Tendai Mtawarira was born on 1 August 1985 in Harare, Zimbabwe. He went to Churchill School for five years. After that, he received a full scholarship to Peterhouse Boys' School. This is an independent school located in Mashonaland East.

How Tendai Was Discovered

When Tendai was 15 and still at Churchill School, a Zimbabwean coach named Joey Muwadzuri noticed his talent. Joey invited him to join the Under 19 team at the National Schools Festival. Later that year, Tendai joined the Cats and Dogs Rugby Academy Team. This team won the National Seniors 7's tournament. He played alongside other talented players like Dan Hondo and Tonderai Chavhanga.

Tendai's Rugby Career Highlights

After a strong season in 2008 with the Sharks team, it was clear Tendai had great potential. His speed was very helpful with the new rugby rules at the time.

Making His Springbok Debut

He was chosen for the Springbok squad and played his first game against Wales on 14 June 2008. At first, he did not play much. However, he got a chance to be a reserve player against the Wallabies in Perth. When he came on, he made a big impact. He then became a starting player for all the next Tri-nations games.

Facing the British & Irish Lions

A major moment in Tendai's career happened in 2009. This was during the first test match of the British & Irish Lions tour. He played against the experienced prop Phil Vickery. Tendai completely dominated Vickery in the scrum. This led to Vickery being taken off the field after only 45 minutes. Tendai was named man-of-the-match for his amazing performance.

Later Career and Injuries

On 16 June 2018, Tendai Mtawarira played his 100th test match. This game was against England. He was later moved to the bench for a match against Australia in September 2018. In October 2018, he got a neck injury while playing against New Zealand. This injury meant he missed the Springboks' tour to Europe in 2018.

Winning the Rugby World Cup

Tendai was part of South Africa's team for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. South Africa went on to win the tournament. They beat England in the final. Tendai's scrummaging in the final was described as very powerful. South Africa won many penalties because of his strong play in the scrum.

Other Notable Matches

Besides his 117 Test matches, Tendai also played in games that were not official "tests." He played for the Springboks against the Barbarians in 2010 and 2016. He also played against World XV teams in 2014 and 2015. Tendai has also played twice for the Barbarians team himself. He holds the record for the most Super Rugby games played by a South African, with 160 caps.

Tendai Mtawarira's Test Match Record

This table shows Tendai Mtawarira's record in official test matches.

Against	P	W	D	L	Tri	Pts	%Won
Argentina	17	13	1	3	0	0	79.41
Australia	21	10	2	9	0	0	52.38
British & Irish Lions	3	2	0	1	0	0	66.67
England	11	8	1	2	0	0	77.27
Fiji	1	1	0	0	1	5	100
France	6	5	0	1	0	0	83.33
Ireland	7	3	0	4	0	0	42.86
Italy	6	5	0	1	1	5	83.33
Japan	3	2	0	1	0	0	66.67
Namibia	2	2	0	0	0	0	100
New Zealand	20	6	1	13	0	0	32.5
Samoa	3	3	0	0	0	0	100
Scotland	5	4	0	1	0	0	80
United States	1	1	0	0	0	0	100
Wales	11	9	0	2	0	0	81.82
Total	117	74	5	38	2	10	65.38

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

Test Tries Scored

Tendai Mtawarira scored two tries in his test match career. Here are the details:

Tries	Opposition	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result
1	Italy	Cape Town, South Africa	Newlands	Test match	21 June 2008	Won 26–0
1	Fiji	Wellington, New Zealand	Westpac Stadium	2011 Rugby World Cup	17 September 2011	Won 49–3

See also

In Spanish: Tendai Mtawarira para niños