'When I first came from amateur rugby I was just gym junkie strong... I never did cardio'
Lovejoy Chawatama has come a long way since some difficult winter nights as a teenager fresh out of Zimbabwe adjusting to the much cooler environs of south London. The chill in the air just wasn’t what he was used to growing up in southern Africa. “I was used to playing rugby in the sun, not going out and playing in the snow and the cold,” he quipped to RugbyPass.
“I remember one of the games when it was snowing, I wouldn’t get out and play. I stayed in the changing rooms and a friend had to convince me to come outside. There was no way I was going to play. I was always the last one to come out to training as it was always cold and windy at night. At training I used to wear three, four layers because I wasn’t used to this cold. It’s memories isn’t it? That’s what rugby is all about. I laugh about it now.”
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The 27-year-old has every right to. It was eleven weeks ago – on December 28 – when he reached another milestone in his out-of-the-ordinary journey into the paid ranks of professional rugby – starting his first-ever Gallagher Premiership match.
Unlike the multiple very young 20-somethings who accelerate through the club academy system, star at age-grade international rugby and then jump seamlessly and quickly into the English top-flight, Chawatama’s emergence has been a twelve-year slow burner. Commendably, he hasn’t forgotten where it started as he now coaches the forwards at London and South-East Division One outfit Beckenham.
“It’s coaching my friends and I really, really enjoy that,” he enthused. “Without Beckenham I wouldn’t be where I am right now. I’m grateful for what they have done for me. I joined a week after coming to England when I was 15 and the coach used to pick me up at my house every Sunday and take me to train while mum was going to church. The coaches saw something in me and they sacrificed so much, so going back there coaching now is great to be giving back.”
It was only in the closing games of the 2011/12 season that Chawatama made the leap that has since taken him all the way to London Irish. He’d been a back row in his formative years but eventually figured prop was the way to go. England Students caps followed during his construction project management degree years at University of West England, and a stint with National League Two South Clifton then became the lever for a journey through the exiles of the capital, London Scottish and London Welsh before his January 2017 arrival at London Irish.
Twenty-three months later, he had the No3 shirt on his back at Sixways, taking on Worcester in that long-craved first Premiership start. “I’d been wanting for that for a long time, grafting away in the shadows and working hard. It was a dream come true, an emotional day, and I’m now working hard to get more.
“When I first came from amateur rugby I was just gym junkie strong, just the strong kid in the gym. My fitness was something I’d to work on coming into professional rugby. I was a bit too heavy, used to be about 120kgs when playing National One, and I had cut down.
“All I used to do when playing amateur rugby was spend time in the gym and study, that was all I did. I never did enough cardio. I didn’t think I needed that and then I realised that to be a professional rugby player you needed cardio, not just strength in scrummaging. Scrummaging was never an issue, although you have to keep learning the dark arts and keep improving. But you have got to keep getting fitter and stronger the right way. You need to carry the weight the right way.
“That is up to the nutritionist and the strength and conditioning with London Irish… and I worked so hard on that because the game at this level is different. You need to be fast, need to be alive in the defensive line and in the attack, always moving and not being stationary. You’re always doing something. If you’re not fit enough you’re going to be left behind, so I’m always working hard on extras in fitness to keep up and make sure I’m ready when I get my opportunities.
“I’ve come a long way since I joined Irish from London Welsh, understanding what it means to be a professional, what it is to be a Premiership player. I did the rounds in the national leagues, in amateur rugby. My dream was to play Premiership rugby and I have achieved the dream, but it’s not enough for me. I’m pushing to one day become the first-choice tighthead with Irish and my next dream is to try and play for England.”
A giant of the game now bars that route at the exiles, legendary Wallaby Sekope Kepu checking in at Hazelwood at the start of winter after bringing the curtain down on his 110-Test cap career at the World Cup in Japan. “I’m grateful for the opportunities I have been given this year to play in the Premiership. I have always been a big believer that you get what you put in. I’ve been working hard and want to get better and better.
“I’m grateful for someone like Kepu. You couldn’t ask for anyone better to learn off. Obviously, he is in my position but I’m pushing him, learning off him as well. He’s a great professional and it’s good to have those people in the club. I watch every other top prop, watch what props all around the world are doing to see how I can improve and be aggressive, to increase my tackles in a game and be effective in and around at the breakdown which is how we are judged on at London Irish, judged on our effort levels.
“You know when you get a jersey you have to give it your all and it’s just knowing when to take your moments in a rugby match, when to do stuff, just knowing how to be effective around the pitch and in scrums. Tightheads use a lot of energy when we scrummage so it’s about being smart how you play. To have someone like Kepu who has played over 100 Tests, you don’t play 100 internationals if you don’t know what you’re doing so just picking the brain of someone like him is amazing.”
Life is rosy for Chawatama, a soon-to-be first-time father who was surrounded by a swathe of energetic kids last Wednesday when RugbyPass caught up with him at Grasshoppers RFC as part of the London Irish delegation running a Project Rugby training session for people traditionally underrepresented groups in the sport.
?|Our favourite 4 from yesterday's @premrugby #ProjectRugby festival. ??? #IAmARugbyPlayer pic.twitter.com/552CuBx1Qk
— LIFoundation (@LIFoundation) March 12, 2020
“I absolutely love days like this. As someone who hasn’t come through the normal route, a day like today is great to give kids an opportunity to come in. I was once one of those kids when star players would come to Beckenham and I aspired to get from there to the Premiership because I saw how normal blokes played in the Premiership.
“The kids here, you know what they are like – questions are how much are you earning, what car do you drive, do you play Fortnite? They are always asking these general things. I’m not a Fortnite player. I used to play a lot of Fifa but now I try and get out and do stuff on my off days.
“That is going to help me in life after rugby. I’m quite a busy person in terms of my days off, studying a personal training level three course so I can be in the gym training people… the career in rugby is not that long, so it’s good to prepare for life after rugby. I’m always looking for opportunities and I jump on them because you never know who you might get to meet and who you might need one day.”
England was always viewed as the land of opportunity growing up in Zimbabwe and there were sacrifices before it all gelled together for Chawatama. “Mum wanted to live here to get better opportunities for a better life. She was a teacher who moved up here teaching and I was in boarding school in Zimbabwe while she was over here.
“Boarding school helped me transition better when I did come over to England and I’m grateful for what mum has done for us. My grandparents are still in Zimbabwe and we speak on FaceTime and catch up. Mum goes back three times a year but I haven’t been for a while because what happens with all the studying in between the rugby, it’s hard to get the timing right to go.”
* Project Rugby – run by Premiership Rugby in collaboration with England Rugby and Gallagher – is designed to increase participation in the game by people from traditionally underrepresented groups: Black Asian and minority ethnic people, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and disabled people.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
13 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to comments