Richard Tsimba
Zimbabwean rugby union player (1965–2000)
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Richard Utete Tsimba (Salisbury, Rhodesia, 9 July 1965 – 30 April 2000) was a Zimbabwean rugby union player. He played as a centre. He was nicknamed "The Black Diamond".
| Born | Richard Utete Tsimba July 9, 1965 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | April 30, 2000 (aged 34) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Peterhouse Boys' School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tsimba was the first black player to represent his country. He had 5 caps for Zimbabwe, scoring 3 tries, 12 points in aggregate. All his caps came at the Rugby World Cup. He played two games in the 1987 event, scoring two tries in the 21-20 loss to Romania on 23 March 1987 in Auckland. At the 1991 Rugby World Cup he was used in all three of Zimbabwe's games, scoring a try in the 52-8 loss to Japan on 14 October 1991 in Belfast.
He died in a car accident, aged only 34 years old. His wife, Cleopatra Tsimba and 3 daughters, Tadiwa Lucy, Rutendo Ashley and Nyasha Tina Tsimba surviving him.
On 25 October 2012, he was posthumously inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame; his living younger brother and fellow Zimbabwe international Kennedy Tsimba was inducted alongside him.[1]
