The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
ATHLETES always want to say goodbye on a high.
History is loaded with tales of men and women who called it a day after scoring the winning goal, smashing the winning runs or breaking a world record among other achievements.
Zimbabwe rugby veteran Jacques Leitao has been thinking of hanging up his boots after a decade long career that has seen him suffer his fair share of injuries.
“I have given retirement some thought, especially over the last few months,” revealed the 33-year old.
“My family, which is ever growing now, has become a big factor in my decision making. I think I’m pretty close to retirement now.”
Talented, hardworking, loyal beyond reproach and a true born leader Leitao can be said to be the personification of Zimbabwe rugby over the past decade.
He proudly wears his rugby scars like badges of honour.
“I picked my first rugby injury when I was still a colt at Hillcrest College, I broke my left hand during a match,” Leitao recalled.
“Since then I have done the tendons in my right knee, hurt both my ankles countless times and had the usual hamstring or rugby related injury. That said, I have no regrets.”
The Cheetahs centre appreciates there is young blood coming through the ranks as his career heads towards the finishing line.
“I wouldn’t want to do myself or the country an injustice by playing beyond my usefulness,” said Leitao.
“Rugby is still very much a part of my life and would want to continue playing for as long I can…so long as it doesn’t interfere with the team dynamics or I appear to be trying to force my selection.”
As the stars align and nature takes its cause, a gradual transition has already begun.
Leitao has already relinquished his captaincy duties at both club and national level.
At Old Georgians, formerly District Dragons, Kudzai Muzorewa has taken over captaincy while Hilton Mudariki has done the same at the Zimbabwe Cheetahs.
Grant Mitchell and Daniel Hondo, two men who have had the pleasure to play with and also coach Leitao, have nothing but glowing admiration.
“As a player very few people have the vision and movement he has. On the pitch, he sees things that others don’t,” said Mitchell who coached Leitao at OGs.
“He is the type of player that rarely makes mistakes and almost always makes the right calls. That in my opinion is his biggest strength.
“It’s actually a pity that our game is not at that professional level, otherwise Leitao would have been a world class player, revered everywhere in the world.”
Hondo lauds Leitao for leading by example.
“As a player he always gives his all and is the guy whom the team turns to when the chips are down. He has strong Christian beliefs that have made him dependable and reliable as a leader,” he said.
Born on July 30, 1982, Leitao first came across rugby at Hillcrest College.
“At school, everyone was required to play every sport and it was during that time that I was introduced and then later fell in love with rugby,” he said.
After school Leitao moved to the capital where he played for Harare Sports Club, Old Hararians and Old Georgians.
However, it is at OGs that he made his name.
He earned his first caps for both the Zimbabwe Sables and Cheetahs in 2006, captaining the latter for almost ten years.
Leitao is married to Kelly and the couple has two kids Chloe (five) and Haylee (three).
Kelly is the sister to Peter Joubert, Leitao’s teammate at OG’s and the Sables.
“I met my wife through rugby, although she is not entirely into the sport. She used to come see her brother Peter Joubert train and play for OG.
“We hit it off and dated for a while before I proposed to her during the Sevens World Cup in Dubai 2009. We had just won the Bowls final, where I scored the last try and all our friends and family were there. It just felt right,” he said.
