Tendai Mtawarira (born 1 August 1985) is a rugby union player who plays for the South Africa national team and the Sharks in Super Rugby. He was born in Zimbabwe and qualified for South Africa on residency grounds, before later acquiring South African citizenship. Mtawarira, a prop, is known by the nickname The Beast.

Mtawarira made his debut for South Africa against Wales on 14 June 2008. With 117 caps, he is the most capped prop in South African history and the third most-capped Springbok of all time behind Victor Matfield and Bryan Habana.

With his 117 caps, Mtawarira is the 17th most capped international forward of all time and the 5th most capped prop of all time. He is also a 2019 Rugby World Cup Winner.

Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira is the most-capped member of the current squad. He has been a cornerstone of the Bok pack since 2008 and was massive in the 2009 series victory over the British & Irish Lions. In 2016, he overtook Os du Randt as the most-capped Springbok prop.

Tendai Mtawarira | Rugby Legend

Veteran prop Tendai Mtawarira believes the Springboks are a side truly representative of South Africa as they prepare for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final against England. 

Governmental pressures and a need to transform have accompanied South African sport for years now, and Mtawarira knows that better than most having been part of the Bok set-up for over a decade since making his debut in 2008. 

The man affectionately known as ‘Beast’ was even the subject of a political debate during the 2010 international season when an ANC member of parliament suggested Mtawarira should not be playing for the Boks because he was born in Zimbabwe. 

England had no answer to the brute force of The Beast… Tendai Mtawarira’s demonstration of power drove England to the edge – and South Africa to the top of the world.

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