Zimbabwe prop signs new contract at Worcester Warriors

Farai Mudariki’s two first team appearances for Worcester Warriors have both come in the Premiership Cup

ZIMBABWE international Farai Mudariki has secured his immediate future by penning a new one-year contract at Worcester Warriors.

The tighthead prop arrived at Sixways earlier this season having spent two years as an academy player at Castres Olympique and then a season at Federale 1 club Tarbes where former Warriors lock James Percival played alongside him.

The 23-year-old, the younger brother of Jersey scrum-half and Zimbabwe Sevens captain Hilton Mudariki, has made two appearances this term and was delighted to have agreed a new deal.

“We are building a great team here and I want to be part of that as soon as possible,” he said.

“I plan to keep developing and hope to get some more minutes on the pitch in that process.

“I am really thankful for the guidance that the coaching staff have given me thus far and for the faith they have shown in me.

“I am enjoying my time here. A few of the lads here played rugby with my older brother at some stage in their careers so I am quite familiar with them and they have helped me to settle into the club.

“It’s a great time to be part of the project at this club. I feel blessed, it’s really an exciting time to be involved.”

Mudariki is the 13th current Warriors player to sign a new contract as director of rugby Alan Solomons continues with his retention and recruitment programme.

“Farai is a young player with loads of potential and it’s terrific that he is extending his stay with us. I have no doubt that he will make his mark next season,” Solomons said.

Worcester Warriors head coach Rory Duncan was quoted on Wednesday saying he hopes to see more of ball-carrying prop Mudariki this season. The Zimbabwe international made an impact in Warriors’ win over Sale Sharks in late October before coming off the bench in another Premiership Cup clash at Saracens two weeks later. “Farai has not had a lot of opportunities,” Duncan said.

“One of his strong points is ball-carrying and has shown that he has got the ability to get the team on the front foot. He has got a niggling injury at the moment,” he said.

“But I am hoping that we are going to be able to see him in a Warriors jersey within the next couple of weeks. It has not taken him long to adjust to the environment,” Duncan added.

Duncan said the 23-year-old was currently sidelined through injury but reckoned he would be back in action soon.

Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club are an English rugby union club, playing in the English Premiership. Warriors also compete in the Premiership Rugby Cup, European Challenge Cup, and Premiership Rugby Shield competitions. Their home ground is Sixways Stadium, and the team colours are gold and blue.

The club was founded in 1871 by Reverend Francis John Ede, with the first known game played against the Royal Artillery Rugby Club on 8 November 1871. This game was played on Pitchcroft. The club began playing at Bevere in Worcester in 1954 and left Bevere for Sixways in 1975 when the clubhouse was opened. When the league system was formed, the club was placed in North Midlands Division One, a level eight league.

Mudariki is expected to make his presence felt immediately when he recovers as Worcester Warriors is facing injury concerns over key players Gerrit-Jan van Velze and lock Michael Fatialofa.

The duo were forced off in Warriors’ dramatic 36-31 home triumph over Stade Francais in the European Challenge Cup at the weekend.

Captain Van Velze looked in discomfort when he left the field with a hip complaint midway through the opening period and was replaced by Matt Cox.

Fatialofa then suffered a blow to his shoulder and did not return for the second half as he made way for Darren Barry.

Head coach Rory Duncan said he was “hopeful” van Velze and Fatialofa had not picked up “serious” injuries.

“GJ took a bit of a bang on his hip so medics will have a look at him,” said Duncan immediately after the comeback win.

“Fatialofa took a bang on his shoulder. We don’t know how serious it is.

“Obviously he carried on after the blow but we didn’t want to risk him going forward.

“We had capable cover in Darren Barry on the bench so we thought it would be wise to take him off and not risk any further injury.

“I am certainly hopeful that none of those guys’ injuries are serious.”

The start of Fatialofa’s Warriors career has already been hit by injury and illness since his arrival from New Zealand in early November.

The 26-year-old spent his first month at the club rehabbing a knee issue that he aggregated while guiding Auckland to the Mitre10 Cup.

After making his debut in last month’s win over Pau and then his Premiership bow in the defeat to Northampton Saints Fatialofa came down with hand, foot and mouth disease.

Fatialofa got off his sickbed to help Warriors beat Bath but lasted just 40 minutes against Stade Francais.

Van Velze did not come through the first half of the campaign unscathed either having injured his shoulder in the loss at Gloucester in early December. – WorcesterNews