The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
STEPHEN Bhasera, the Zimbabwe national Under-18 captain at the 2014 Coca-Cola Craven Week in South Africa, has shown that he can balance his rugby playing career with his studies after he secured a full scholarship to study law at the University of Johannesburg.
Bhasera passed his 2014 University of Cambridge Advanced Level final examinations at Falcon College where he was also the headboy with flying colours. He got two A stars in Geography and Literature in English while he also got an A pass mark in History which brought his total points tally to 17.
Bhasera was the best performing pupil in Cambridge examinations for Geography in the world and is due to receive an award at a ceremony to be held in Harare early next month.
Speaking from his hometown of Kadoma where he is eagerly waiting for his South African study permit, Bhasera could not hide the joy of securing the scholarship.
“I got a full scholarship to study for a BComm in Law at the University of Johannesburg. At the moment I am waiting for a study permit before I leave for South Africa. I am going to play in the Young Guns which is the Varsity Cup for the Under-20 and for the Lions Under-19 in the Currie Cup,’’ said Bhasera.
The tighthead prop has represented Zimbabwe at the Coca-Cola Craven Week a record four times.
Bhasera, who represented the country once in the Under-13 team, and in the Under-16s and twice in the Under-18 team, said his goal was to play at the highest level possible in South Africa which is Super Rugby.
Bhasera was one of the Old Mutual Young Sables players who attracted huge interest from South African scouts at the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week staged at the High Technical School Middelburg in Middelburg in July last year.
He was approached by five scouts with one of the offers coming from the University of KwaZulu-Natal which could have paved his way to play for the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks but because the institution’s rugby team does not play in the Varsity Cup, Bhasera settled for UJ.
Bhasera could take the same route followed by Zimbabwe born Springboks loosehead prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira who was identified while turning out for the country of his birth at the Craven Week, enrolled into the Sharks Academy, played for the Sharks in Super Rugby and eventually made his Test debut for the Springboks against Wales in 2008.
Weighing 117kg and standing at 1.81 metres, Bhasera has a bright future ahead of him. With most youngsters opting not to play for Zimbabwe because of lack of financial rewards at senior level, it will come as no surprise if Bhasera chooses to play for South Africa. With the Springboks facing such a huge challenge at tighthead prop, Bhasera could offer a solution for them in the near future.
Other members of the team led by Bhasera who have been signed up on rugby based scholarships in South Africa include lock Eli Snyman who is at the University of Pretoria where he will also play for the Blue Bulls Under-19 team and loose forward Daniel Nyamugama, who was snapped up by the University of Free State.
Multi-talented Brian Mhuriyengwe, another member of the Under-18 Craven Week side is said to be sorting out his paperwork for a trip to the United States in August.
Mhuriyengwe, voted Sportsman of the Year at his former school Falcon College last year is understood to be either heading off to Oregon State University or University of California on a basketball as well as athletics scholarship. The lanky athlete has donned national colours at junior level in athletics, basketball, cricket and rugby. In 2007, Mhuriyengwe was offered a soccer scholarship by South African ABSA Premiership side Orlando Pirates when he went on a tour to South Africa with Petra Primary School.
