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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
GERMANY-based former Zimbabwe international rugby player Manasah Sita, who switched allegiance to the European country two years ago, has officially retired from the game.

Sita represented Zimbabwe in the 15s and sevens from 2006 up to 2016 before switching loyalty to Germany in 2018. He featured for Germany sevens from 2018 until early this year.

The 33-year-old Sita played his final game on Saturday in a North versus South sevens tournament in Germany. He feels he has nothing to look forward to in rugby since his dream was to qualify for the Tokyo

Olympics as well as World Rugby Sevens Series with Germany, something he will not be able to achieve.

“Well the goal was Olympics then qualify for the World Series. So all tournaments have been cancelled and Japan qualified for Hong Kong so I got no goals anymore in terms of rugby, it’s all about work and family now. It’s been a great journey to be honest and I really enjoyed every part of it,” Sita said.

The former Sables backline player, who operated at wing, centre and hooker for the Cheetahs, is now a certified personal trainer with an A licence, the highest one can get in Germany. He established his business, Manasah Fitness, in 2018 and wants to focus on helping others stay in shape.

“I am now a gym owner here so that’s where my focus is from now on. Manasah Fitness launched in September 2018 and that’s when the opportunity to represent Germany also came along so I was combining the two.”

Sita, who turns 34 in October, believes this was the right time to walk away from the game after making his Sables debut in August 2006 against Madagascar in Bulawayo and for the Cheetahs in the same year in the Dubai Sevens.

“It’s always good to stop when you’re still good, so 34 was just the right time for me. My first 15s game in Bulawayo versus Madagascar was such an experience and, of course, my first sevens tournament in Dubai 2006 playing against Fiji with the likes of Waiseli Serevi and William Ryder was such an honour,” he said.

Sita’s rugby career started off at One Commando in Harare before he joined Police Defenders, Old Hararians and Old Georgians prior to moving to Polokwane Rugby Club in South Africa.

From Mzansi, Sita moved to Germany where he played the bulk of his rugby for the Heidelberg-based Sport Club Neuenheim and also turned out for TV Pforzheim.

His last appearance for the Sables was in July 2016 against Kenya at Police Grounds in Harare, which the Kenyans won 61-15, while Sita’s swansong for the Cheetahs was a month before that at the Rio Olympic final qualifiers held in Monaco where Zimbabwe won the Bowl.