By Zim Sport Live Writer
Zimbabwe rugby star Shingirai Manyarara has been named an official athlete by global sportswear brand OXEN Sports as his career continues to gather momentum in France.
The Racing 92 back-rower joins the brand’s athlete roster after establishing himself in the French Top 14, with OXEN describing the 22-year-old as one of the emerging forwards in the competition.
Manyarara joined Racing 92 in 2023 after developing at Kingswood College in South Africa and representing Zimbabwe at Under-20 level.
He made his professional breakthrough during the 2024-25 season before becoming a regular member of the Racing squad during the 2025-26 campaign.
His progress has earned him a long-term commitment from the Paris-based club, with Manyarara signing his first professional contract through to 2029.
His performances also helped Racing 92 reach the Top 14 semi-finals last season.
As part of the partnership, Manyarara will wear OXEN rugby boots and work with the company on initiatives involving his former school, Kingswood College.
OXEN chief executive Lee Jenkinson said the Zimbabwean was an ideal fit for the brand as it expands its presence in the French rugby market.
“Shingi is exactly the type of athlete we want to build the OXEN brand alongside,” Jenkinson said.
“He is powerful, athletic and uncompromising in the way he plays, but he is also ambitious, grounded and determined to keep developing.”
Jenkinson added that Manyarara’s progress in one of the world’s leading domestic rugby competitions made the partnership particularly significant for the company.
“He has made an enormous impression in one of the strongest competitions in world rugby and, at only 22, has an incredibly exciting future ahead of him.”
For Manyarara, the agreement represents another milestone in a career that has taken him from Zimbabwe to South Africa and now the highest level of French club rugby.
“I’m proud to become an official OXEN athlete and to join a brand that has such strong ambitions within rugby,” he said.
“I’m still at the beginning of my career and focused on working hard to improve every day. I believe OXEN shares that same mentality, so this feels like a really exciting partnership.”
Manyarara’s journey began in Zimbabwe before he moved to Kingswood College, where he emerged as a highly rated schoolboy forward. He later represented the Junior Sables at the 2023 World Rugby Under-20 Trophy before joining Racing 92.
The partnership comes as OXEN prepares to expand its distribution network in France and mainland Europe, with the company targeting one of rugby’s biggest markets.
For Zimbabwean rugby, Manyarara’s continued rise provides another example of a young player developing through the Junior Sables pathway and progressing into one of Europe’s major professional competitions.