FORMER Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby team captain Sam Phiri is closing in on a big move to the Johannesburg-based South African rugby union franchise Lions after announcing his departure from the Cape Town-based Western Province on Saturday.
A product of Falcon College in Esigodini, Phiri has been part of the Western Province set-up for the last four years after initially joining the Western Province Rugby Academy (WPRA), where he showed enough potential to be offered a contract at the Western Province Rugby Institute in 2017.
The 21-year-old powerfully-built wing was part of the Western Province Under-21 side in the Under-21 Currie Cup competition last season as he looked on course to graduate to the senior side and ultimately the province's Super Rugby franchise Stormers.
The Western Province Rugby Institute, situated in Stellenbosch, is a top-class facility that has in recent years consistently produced quality young players, who have gone on to play Super Rugby for a number of franchises in South Africa, most notably, Stormers.
Phiri was part of the Zimbabwe side which made its debut in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge last season, where he featured in the side's last three matches.
