BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
ZIMBABWE rugby prop Gabriel Sipapate has been one of the country’s flag bearers in Spanish rugby union, starring for three different clubs in the second tier División de Honor B since his move to the European country in November 2017.
But the 25 year-old CAU Rugby Valencia and Zimbabwe Sables tighthead prop’s sporting career could have taken a different path had he pursued a career in judo after also enjoying success in both rugby and the combat sport as a schoolboy.
Then a student at Churchill in Harare, Sipapate grabbed the local headlines when he won Zimbabwe’s first gold medal in the under 100kg category of the judo competition at the 2014 African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games held in Bulawayo.
The historic gold medal, which set the tone for a successful campaign for Team Zimbabwe in the regional sporting event, could have acted as a springboard towards a possible full-time career in judo for the gifted Sipapate.
Sipapate had nonetheless already been offered a rugby scholarship by the KwaZulu-Natal-based Sharks Academy a few months earlier and eventually opted for a career in rugby.
The now 25-year-old tighthead prop, who is enjoying his stint in Spain following his breakthrough move to División de Honor B side CAR Cáceres in 2017, said he first got involved in judo as a way of improving his rugby skills.
“When we knew I was going to play top-level rugby at Sharks the following year, my coaches and trainers looked for something that was going to take me out of my comfort zone so that I could understand sport better,” Sipapate explained.
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“We started with punching bags and it went very well and we raised the bar to judo because it was good for my experience, but also for my rugby technique. At first I didn’t know what I was getting into, I carried a lot injuries, but I never looked back or shed a tear because some of the injuries were too much that I feel so blessed to be able to be sitting and walking right now.
Sipapate added: “When I got called up for the judo national team, I raised the bar. I went away for three months with the team. “I didn’t look for a way out of the hard work, I embraced it and later it paid off after being the first to win gold at the Region 5 Youth Games for my country. More importantly, I left the dojo with a brown belt, stronger and fearless.”
Sipapate refused to rule out a possible return to judo in the future despite his successful rugby career in Spain, where the sport of rugby has been on a rapid rise since the country’s impressive run during the 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifiers.
“I am a sportsman, I flow, I am like water, I just had more opportunities with rugby, but when there is another (judo) tournament you might hear my name because I have a such a great muscle memory. I don’t forget stuff early, most of the best judo moves is what I am doing now on a rugby field and its looking good,” he said.
The Harare-born rising star got his first introduction to rugby after enrolling at Churchill School, where he blossomed under the mentorship of the school’s well-respected rugby coaches Jeff Madhake and Bob Mahari.
Sipapate immediately made it into the school’s first team, the Bulldogs, where he continued to impress, before his solid performances earned him a place in the Zimbabwe Under-20 side and a scholarship at KwaZulu-Natal-based Sharks Academy.
“Being fresh out of high school and going on to clash and rub shoulders with the big and strong men wasn’t really much of a challenge because I was prepared mentally and physically from the experience I gained from the Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby team and judo,” he said.
“Sharks showed me what rugby was all about, they broke it down to me. Sir Gary Gold (former Sharks coach) taught me that hard work will always beat talent.
Until today I still remember how I felt going pound to pound with Thomas “The Tank” du Toit at my first scrum session….He was my scrum buddy I learnt so much stuff from him,” Sipapate said.
After stints with South African sides Mustangs, Naka Bulls and Durban Collegians, he earned his Sables debut two years ago, coming on as a substitute in a Rugby Africa Gold Cup clash against Morocco at Harare Sports Club.
“It was a one of a kind year for me,” Sipapate said while reflecting on his Sables bow. “We had so much talent and experience from the staff to the players, I learnt a lot off the field and I believe it’s the lessons we learnt that continue to have an impact on me till this day. My goal is to be in that Zimbabwe jersey soon with pride,” he said.
Now in his third season of playing semi-professional rugby in Spain, Sipapate has been enjoying a good season with promotion-chasing CAU Rugby Valencia, who are topping their group and on course to earning promotion to the top-tier División de Honor.
CAU Rugby Valencia is Sipapate’s third club in Spain after stints with CAR Cáceres and CR Les Abelles, and the Zimbabwean front rower reckons he has gained valuable experience during his stint in the European nation.
“The main lesson I’ve learnt from my time in Spain is the process and preparation for the games, which ignited the fire within us to want work more and take on other teams in the league. Perhaps my second best highlight is having teammates from around the world and learn from each other with so much respect of every individual’s beliefs and knowledge. Last but not least, the brotherhood on and off the field is breathtaking and it has made everything worth it,” he said.
