Patrick Kazungu is a Remera Buffaloes and national team, the Silverbacks lock. The second row player has matured over the years playing for his club and has this year settled into the Silverbacks regulars.

He has earned a few caps for the Silverbacks but with his drive and discipline, the 27-year old still has more to offer for both club and country.

He is being looked at as player to watch for the reigning champions Remera Buffaloes in the upcoming 2015/2016 league that kicks off later this month.

In an exclusive interview, Kazungu tells Sunday Sport about his love for Rugby, his take on the sport in general in Rwanda and the need for discipline in order to succeed.

Kazungu was born on August 1, 1988 in Kanombe to Ceasar Munyagatanga and Julien Nzamukosha. He is a second year student of Human Resource Management student at The Rwanda Tourism University at Sonatube, Kicukiro. 

Growing up wasn’t easy for the second row after losing his father at an early age, and being raised by a single mother alongside three siblings— a brother and two sisters.

He attended Sinai Hill Academy, in Ndera and for secondary he joined G.S Apred Ndera. However life got tough as his mother passed away in 2007 when Kazungu was in S.1. He reveals that, "I had to survive on my own; studying wasn’t easy because I had to look for my school fees and other necessities.”

Early days

In his primary school days Kazungu was a volleyball player and played for his school in several competitions but when he joined secondary school, he dropped volleyball to concentrating on his studies, he tried basketball but it didn’t work out.

"Some of my best friends were basketballers (read basketball players), and convinced me to try it out basketball but I quickly realized it wasn’t the sport for me, so I lost interest,” Kazungu reflects.

Getting into Rugby

National league club Remera Buffaloes uses Apred Ndera as its feeder club, and that is how Kazungu ventured in the world of playing rugby while in senior five in 2010.

"Because of my (big) size and height, again some friends of mine encouraged me to take up rugby, saying that I could go on and become a good player. At that time they were being coached by Vincent Kamali,” he recalls.

Kamali, a veteran of the game in Rwanda, plays for Remera Buffaloes and the Silverbacks at fullback.

Kazunzu started at lock, then switched to playing as a flanker before going back to lock.

"My first match (a 7s game), there was a lot of running, and I was not used to running, so I got discouraged. You can have energy but running takes a toll on you more than anything, I couldn’t think I would handle the challenge of playing rugby to a high level.”

The match was between Apred Ndera against a select team, at that time, based at APE Rugunga ground—that team included Jean Paul Hajali and Emmanuel Nzungu now playing for Remera Buffaloes and Kigali Sharks respectively.

Kazungu recalls, "We lost the game 21-3, however it was a wakeup call for me, seeing the smaller and younger boys playing with more energy, I asked myself why couldn’t I use my physical and height advantage to keep fighting if really I wanted to play this game.”

Despite being second row, Kazungu says his favorite players include his Remera Buffaloes teammate, (Vincent) Kamali and former Ugandan international Allan Musoke, who are both full backs. "They are not too big, but they are fast and know how to use their energy.”

In 2011, Kazungu says was in the APRED Ndera team that lost to Lycee de Ruhango 14-13 in the Inter Schools Rugby 15s tournament.

Along with him on that APRED Ndera team was Steven Kwizera, now a teammate at Rwanda’s most dominant club, Remera Buffaloes.

Buffaloes and the Silverbacks

Kazungu joined the Buffaloes in 2011, and slowly became a regular, "That time we were young and small, training with bigger guys, and because of that we were not nervous when we faced other bigger guys from other teams."

His confidence grew with the help of senior player Jean Baptiste Itanzi and Kamali.

In 2013, he made his international debut with the Silverbacks in the Africa Rugby D 2 cup then called CAR Super 16 against Burundi. 

His performance earned hi s a place on the squad that played in the Safaricom 7s as the Silverbacks lost their two pool games to Kenya Shujaa and South African league side, Western Province.

In Nairobi, the physical difference was so much for the inexperienced and shy Kazungu, and he asked team captain (Kamali) to be allowed to sit out the tournament.

"Just looking at the physique of the opponent players was scary enough, so requested to be left out of the team so that the more experienced players on the challenge.

"That time I was just using only my raw power, the techniques were low, but coming from there I started improving my techniques.”

The following year, he couldn’t make the Silverbacks squad due to competition from the experienced duo of locks Julien Nshimiyimana Muba and Jean Leonard Twizeyimana in the Africa Rugby Division 2 hosted by Rwanda.

However he was back again this year as the Silverbacks went to Kinshasa DRC for the Africa Rugby Division 2 Cup. He also played for the Silverbacks for the 2016 Olympic Games, South-Division pre-qualifiers held in Rwanda in July. Zambia and Mauritius advanced to the next qualification round. 

"He has improved with time, and does what he is told, I have always told him to trust his ability and he can beat anybody.  And he is a starter at the Buffaloes, but if he keeps learning and improving, he is going to play for many years,” says Kamali.

Discipline in the Game

Like many of his colleagues, Kazungu started playing in the league after juts a year into the sport, which means they have to learn some basics and rules that govern the sport on the job.

He believes that the way young players in Rwanda are rushed into competitions, has somehow affected the quality of the game.

"If you want to play at a professional level you need discipline. Rugby is a game of discipline. Rwandans are good at playing rugby but because they are not taught the rules well enough, the sport isn’t going forward,” he reveals.

He noted that, "When you compare us to the Congolese national team, we are better than them but because they are more disciplined they play better.”