Suburban
Born in the coal mining town of Hwange, in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe’s Number Two player, the hooker Royal Roger Mwale was introduced to rugby at a tender age at Thomas Coulter Junior School in Hwange.
This is where he fell in love with the odd shaped ball game (rugby). He did his secondary school education at Gifford High School in Bulawayo where he was mentored by Simba Dangah.
“He played a huge part in the foundation of my career and coach fudge Mr Mliswa (in the) Under 16. The coaches always made me play in age groups a year older than I was and I would always excel in the game so much that I featured for the Gifford First team (Stingers) as an Under 15 player. I was also selected for the Provincial Matabeleland Under 16 team at the provincial trials. I was awarded my rugby honours but had to wait to receive it as I was not of age (the first such award at Gifford). After my O Levels I was offered a full scholarship at the best school boy rugby playing school in the country Falcon College by the headmaster Mr Reg Querl, an opportunity that would change my life forever.
“The two years I spent at Falcon College under Mr Querl’s coaching and rugby knowledge changed my life and he made me believe that I could achieve my dreams if I worked hard at them. I was awarded rugby honours at Falcon in my final year. I took a gap year and lived in Harare with my God father Bongai Zamchiya and during that time I played for Zimbabwe’s premier rugby club Old Hararians (OH) under Zamchiya’s mentorship. He used to share stories of Brian Mujati’s exploits on the rugby field and this inspired me to follow in his footsteps from OH to the South African Rugby Leagues.”
Mwale moved to SA where he played for Wits University in Johannesburg and we won the Varsity Shield.
“After this win I got a job offer and moved to Durban where I worked as PE teacher in Ballito and I played for the local team there the Ballito Dolphins which was much fun. I got selected to represent Zimbabwe vs Namibia which was my first cap in 2012 . I was hungry for more caps and my former coach at Ballito thought it best for me to try my luck with Durban Collegians Rugby Club and he introduced me to the chairman of the Durban Collegians Club who welcomed me with open arms. This was a totally different ball game altogether and I worked very hard and subsequently made the first team which went unbeaten all season and we won the league in 2013.”
In the same year, Mwale was also included in the Sharks XV clubs team.
“I had always wanted to play for Rovers so when my coach from Collegians moved there I followed him and we won the Murray Cup and I played in the Club Gold Cup competition I again made the Sharks Clubs XV again in 2014.
“I was called up for the Zimbabwe Sables end of year outgoing tour to Hong Kong in 2014 and it was here that I got an offer to play in Spain for Union Rugby Almeria through the contacts of my good friend and fellow Sables player Jan Ferreira who was turning out for Almeria at the time. He introduced me to his coach and I was offered my first professional contract and so the journey continued,” he said.
In his first season he was voted player of the season having scored 18 tries.
“After my successful debut season my agent Anthony Johnson got offers for me to play in France Fed1, in Romania and in Portugal for Sport Lisboa Benfica. I chose the latter and joined Benfica. Benfica is the most professional club I have been involved with to date and I had a good two years there unfortunately I had a series of injuries that kept me out during my time there but it was good to make the final in my last year. During my time in Benfica after my first year I was offered to go to Argentina to play for a feeder team into the Jaguares but that is when I was injured and a glorious chance flew past. It’s been a ride after Portugal I left to play for the Zimbabwe Academy team in the Super Sport Challenge Cup which was a great learning experience and fun. While at the Supersport Challenge Series I got an offer to go to France after the competition that but due to a delay in receiving my new passport I missed the signing window period to be in France to be eligible to play.”
He then got an offer from his agent Anthony Johnson to play for Kabras rugby club in Kenya, a club that our former Zimbabwe international Sables player Mzi Nyathi has been appointed to coach.
“I am currently still in Kenya with the Kabras team and we were top of the League this season before play was stopped before the play offs because of Covid-19. I have 25 caps for Zimbabwe and my hope and dream for Zimbabwe is for all the young talented players we have to have the zeal and passion to represent the Sables and take us to the World Cup in 2023. I firmly believe we have the potential, talent and passion to be the best and rub shoulders with the best of the nations at the World Cup. We are Sables Your Sables My Sables Our Sables.”
