LONG READ 'Impossible not to be emotional': How Ian Prior came out of retirement to help Zimbabwe end Rugby World Cup drought

By 2024, Ian Prior had basically done it all. He’d been a professional player for 14 years. He’d won a Super Rugby title with the Reds, played in the Premiership with Harlequins, captained the Western Force and played for the Perth franchise over 100 times.

With his Force contract expiring, Prior had decided to bring down the curtain on his rugby career. Fate, though, had other ideas. A year later, he stood on a Ugandan pitch with a Zimbabwe shirt on his torso, back-to-back Rugby Africa Cup titles won and Rugby World Cup qualification secured.

For many players, taking a call from the Zimbabwe Rugby Union with an invitation to help the bid to reach Australia 2027 mightn’t be reason enough to abandon retirement plans. But Prior, born in Perth to Zimbabwean parents, could not resist the opportunity. The utility back lived in Zimbabwe between 1993 and 2000 and has never forgotten what the country means to him.

“I had always dreamed of going back,” Prior tells RugbyPass. “Zimbabwe was and is a beautiful country, and I enjoyed a wonderful life growing up there. The wildlife, the freedom, and holidaying around Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River. I experienced so many great moments there. It left a deep imprint on my heart.

“First and foremost, the people from Zimbabwe are the most special part of the country. They are resilient, adaptable and even in the hardest of times they find a way to make it all work. Of course, the wildlife and the landscape are majestic as well, there aren’t many places in the world you get to enjoy things like Lake Kariba.”

Prior did not immediately leap at the Zimbabwean union’s advances.

“At the end of the day it comes down to what your values are,” he reflects. “My parents and sister were born in there, I grew up there as well, and I had the opportunity to make a difference. For me it was enough to motivate me to get involved.

“It meant a lot to my family. They were born in what was Rhodesia at the time, grew up in it and then became part of Zimbabwe, devoting their lives to it. So, for me, it was a special occasion to represent my country as I got to represent my family’s history and heritage. It was such a great honour, and in the end, I presented the Rugby Africa Cup final game jersey to my parents. It was the best way to honour them and to honour the love they have for Zimbabwe.”

I remember praying for another chance when Swanepoel was taking that last shot.

With memories from the past floating back, Prior recalls how he played barefoot rugby and cricket in Zimbabwe, and how these early carefree days were the start of his sports journey.

“My dad actually tells a pretty funny story. After my first rugby training session, I got home, and I was looking a bit disappointed. My parents could tell and asked what happened, and I explained I was going to play lock for my school’s D team.

“My father thought it was a bit strange, as I was always playing rugby with my neighbours, and had some skills, but told me it was okay and to just keep working hard and have fun. I played that first game, and after a week, I came back home saying that I had been picked for the main team as a half-back and captain. My parents thought I was lying. It was a big 180.”

Zimbabwe defeated Namibia in successive African finals. Last year was supposed to be a transitional campaign as the Sables built towards a shot at reaching the World Cup. Sinking one of their biggest and oldest rivals changed everyone’s perspectives.

“Most of our boys had never won against Namibia, and they were sweating throughout the whole week thinking about that game,” Prior says. “However, the game came, and we started to make little inroads here, a line break there, win a scrum, and the team thought ‘we can do this.’ We started believing it was more than viable for us to win. It was the catalyst for what came next.”

With silverware bagged, the Sables had jumped into centre stage and were viewed as one of the two favourites for the Africa World Cup qualification spot. After successfully beating Morocco and Kenya, they were in the final with Namibia again serving as the last obstacle. Zimbabwe surged into a 14-point lead, but Namibia roared back to within two, before Tiaan Swanepoel’s 79^th-minute penalty fell. Zimbabwe clung on to win an epic final 30-28, ending a 34-year wait for a World Cup berth.

“It had a bit of everything, didn’t it?” Prior says. “We switched off for a period, and the game became completely unpredictable. I was trying to come up with solutions and a plan, a drop goal or setting up a penalty. I remember praying for another chance when Swanepoel was taking that last shot. Fortunately for us, it was short, and we were able to hang on until the end.”

Prior’s own story is all the more remarkable since he gave up the pro game at club level last year. He amassed 52 points and assisted five tries in the African tournament, and was named most valuable player.

“I remember back in January thinking to myself, ‘how am I going to do this? How am I going to be on the same level as I was before?’ My life was 100% different, I had a full-time job, which meant training outside of working hours. I have a family now and so many other responsibilities. So, with all these questions, I set a high goal: to be the player of the tournament. I wanted to qualify Zimbabwe for the World Cup. I was willing to put in the work.”

But couldn’t Prior go abroad and tune up in Japan, the USA, France or somewhere else?

I remember we came into 2024 with no warm-up games, just two weeks of camps and won it. So, imagine what we can do if we invest a bit more.

“I had some offers overseas, mainly from the MLR and Japan, but I didn’t want to shake up things at home, as my kids were starting school and my wife had a good position as a dietitian in the Western Australian Institute of Sport. It felt really selfish for me to change everything. It turned out to be the right time to see what the next chapter would be. I am currently working as a leadership, resilience and crisis management consultant. It has been an exciting new chapter of my life.”

His efforts to honour his family, friends, teammates and country were successful and that recognition as player of the Rugby Africa Cup was welcomed with joy.

“I got quite emotional when my name was read out. Everything just came together. I remember walking up to the stage, and I was crying. It was impossible not to be overcome with emotion, especially when I had doubts that I could perform at that level again six months before the Africa Cup.

“We had heaps of videos of people supporting us coming through. We were emotional to see how Zimbabweans all over the world were supporting us. It was such a proud day for all of us, especially after what the country went through in the early 2000s.”

Prior firmly believes a new dawn awaits Zimbabwean rugby.

“If we get some good funding and get the right pathway model set up, focus on developing more new players, and if we can nurture it in the right way, the sky is the limit. We won back-to-back Rugby Africa Cups without the same resources other teams had. I remember we came into 2024 with no warm-up games, just two weeks of camps and won it. So, imagine what we can do if we invest a bit more.”

There’s a considerable expectation for Prior to keep going and be available for selection when Australia 2027 arrives. He’ll be 36 when the competition begins, but the allure of playing at a World Cup in his homeland is powerful.

“It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t happy with what I achieved until now. But the chance to play a home World Cup, with the possibility of Perth, my home town, hosting one of the games, is too big for me to pass up. On top of that, there’s also the chance of Zimbabwe setting up camp in Perth. I will do everything in my power to keep my body going, my skills sharp and contribute in whichever way I can. I want to show my kids that no matter what your dreams are, if you put in the work, you can achieve them. Everything is possible.”

Prior’s skills as a leader and a voice of belief and confidence are deeply recognised by his teammates. He praises Pieter Benade, Zimbabwe’s head coach, and how he has propelled his squad to an historic achievement.

“Pieter is a wonderful human being. He is authentic, cares deeply about the jersey and Zimbabwe’s rugby culture. The closer we got to the final, the more emotional he got when presenting the jerseys, telling a short story to each player. That’s the guy you want to play for. That’s the guy you are willing to put your head in a dark spot for. He cares about us, and that made a difference.”

Prior reflects with a degree of disbelief on all he has done in the game, knowing there may well be more still to do.

“If you told this young boy running around the fields that he would be playing for the junior Wallabies, captaining the Western Force in Super Rugby, and helping his heritage nation to qualify for a World Cup, I would’ve laughed at you. For me, it is all pretty surreal.”