Former Springbok prop Beast Mtawarira says he would like to share his knowledge with the next generation of forwards coming through in Durban.

Mtawarira was speaking to historian and author Dr Dean Allen as part of a regular fundraiser for the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund on Thursday evening.

During the wide-ranging talk – which looked back on his career – the 34-year-old said that he would love to start giving back to rugby through helping young players in Durban.

‘I would definitely like to get involved in a mentoring capacity,’ Mtawarira said. ‘I have always wanted to impart knowledge into the next generation and help young players come into their own and become successful professionals. So I am looking forward to especially working with the front-rowers, helping them with their scrummaging and general forward play.’

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Mtawarira recently had a similar role in the USA, as he moved to Washington DC after the 2019 World Cup to join Old Glory in the Major League.

‘After winning the World Cup I was looking for an exciting experience to cap off my career,’ Mtawarira said. ‘Having a chance to grow the game globally was really exciting to me. It was going well until COVID-19 came along and ruined it all. That was probably my last season, but it was not ideal to finish that way.’

As for the immediate future, Mtawarira has been stepping into the business world after forming a connection with Fidelity during his playing career. He revealed that his ultimate goal is to establish himself as a successful businessman.

‘I have been involved with Fidelity Services Group for about nine years. It has been a great association,’ Mtwarira said. ‘[Former Springbok flank] Wahl Bartmann really took me under his wing and became my mentor.

‘It all started with me being the face of the business, appearing in adverts. From there, I became a shareholder and then Wahl actually taught me about the business. It has been a great start for me to prepare for life after rugby. Eventually, when I came to terms with retiring, Wahl gave me an opportunity to run one of our main subsidiaries, a company called Umlindi. I am the CEO of this new business and we have to work hard to grow it from humble beginnings. We have the full backing of Fidelity and I am still involved in the group.

‘I am just learning as much as I can. I am also studying towards an MBA in business school. My dream is to become a fully established businessman. For that to happen, I will have to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can and get comfortable in the business world.’

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