HARARE - Three young Zimbabwean rugby players have taken a big step towards professional careers after joining renowned Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) Super League side Hamilton Rugby Club.

Eighthman Tapiwa Tsomondo, lock Tinotenda Zakeyo and flyhalf Luke Masasire joined South Africa’s oldest rugby club this month and will play there while pursuing studies at university.

The three former Zimbabwe youth internationals were recruited by Dale College old boy and Hamilton coach Grant “Griffy” Griffiths, who coached them at the Durban school last year before taking up his new role.

Former Prince Edward star Tsomondo was initially supposed to join Eastern Province Kings at the beginning of the year, but the deal fell through after it emerged the new Super Rugby franchise preferred home-grown talent in their junior ranks.

Meanwhile, the Prince Edward pair of flyhalf Tarisai Musakanda and hooker Sean Dlamini has left the country for a four-month exchange programme at Oswestry High School in England, following in the footsteps of former Tigers teammates Kudzai Zhou and Thabani Ndaba, who impressed at the UK school last year, helping the first XV to their first league title success in 75 years.

Oswestry is headed by former Prince Edward teacher and first team rugby coach Douglas Robb, who is the brains behind the exchange programme.