Legendary Bok prop Beast Mtawarira has confirmed that he signed for American side Old Glory DC for the 2020 Major League Rugby season.
After winning the World Cup with the Springboks in November, Mtawarira announced his international retirement and departure from the Sharks after an illustrious career.
However, he said that he would still consider a stint overseas, and on Wednesday he announced that he had made the interesting decision to join the Old Glory side that will aim to contend for the MLR championship in its inaugural 2020 season.
With other well-known international stars such as Mathieu Bastareaud, Ma’a Nonu and Juan Manuel Leguizamón already signed up to play in the third season of the North American league, the addition of Mtawarira is another massive boon for the game in the USA.
Old Glory head coach Andrew Douglas said: ‘It’s exciting to have one of the world’s best players here at Old Glory. As a coach, not only am I excited about what Tendai brings to the pitch, but also what he brings to our environment.
‘He is an excellent professional and the values and character he brings will be important in raising the bar for the whole squad. To have a guy who has played 117 Test matches yet is still so hard-working and humble can only be beneficial for us. The signing takes the league to another level.’
2/2… and help (in my small way) to grow the game in the America
I’d like to thank the owners Paul Sheehy and Chris Dunlavey, Coach Andrew and the whole Old Glory D.C organization for making this process easy for my family and I. #GloryAwaits
— Tendai Mtawarira (@Beast_TM) December 18, 2019