Wednesday, 6th June 2007 at 8:11 pm

Scenes from a pool II: Can Zimbabweans swim?

With the exception of Kirsty Coventry, who’s hauled in Commonwealth and World Championship medals on a regular basis over the last few years, Zimbabwe doesn’t have a glorious swimming history; in fact, general consensus is that most citizens of the landlocked dictatorship can’t swim.

And lest you think Feverpitcher is being a little harsh, may we take you back to the Mighty Dodos’ hockey clash with Durbanville earlier this season, a game postponed after heavy rain flooded the field, thus endangering the lives of Andrew Stone, Shaun MacDonald, Bruce Kay and Dave Fraser, the celebrity hockey side’s four Zimbabwean imports. The quartet refused to play without armbands… because none of them can swim.

And now comes further proof from the Emergency Emerging Springboks European tour for an IRB tournament that’s currently underway. Springbok wing Tonderai Chavhanga - who scored six tries in his one and only Test against Uruguay - is a product of Prince Edward, Zimbabwe’s proudest rugby school, and judging by this particular photo, looks as comfortable in the water as most of his countrymen. Eric the Eel, anyone?