When he’s not on the field playing rugby, Hacjivah Chukwunoso Dayimani is fuelling his other passion: fashion.
The Racing 92 player saw his dream come true when he appeared on the spread of “Vogue Runway”.
The feature came after he walked for Maxhosa Africa when the contemporary fashion brand made its Paris Fashion Week debut.
He was working alongside other supermodels, including South Africa’s Denetric Malope, who always slays the runway at international shows.
Dayimani is no stranger to fashion editorials. In March this year, he bagged his first magazine cover with “GQ,” where he passionately spoke about rugby and how he used to enjoy playing it as a kid.
He said he used to watch it on SABC until he got a scholarship to study at Jeppe Boys’ College, where he took the sport seriously.
“I went to Jeppe on a scholarship as a yearly boarder and I had nothing. I was always borrowing supplies and things from others and had to hustle most of the time for resources that I needed. It was a really tough time in my life,” he told the gloss.
When he was in Grade 11, he was adopted by a couple Kobie and Leyla Smook following his father’s passing. They helped him become the man he is today, a professional rugby player and a successful model.
“They were like my parents. They took me to where I am today. I eventually got contracted for the Under 19 Lions and played for them in Johannesburg. In 2021, I got contracted to come and play for the Stormers in Cape Town.
“That season we won the United Rugby Championship Cup, an international competition with international clubs around the world and that’s where my career took off,” he said.
Known for supporting local brands, including Rich Mnisi, Ascend and Hibacci to name a few, Dayimani has an interesting taste in fashion.
He wears skirts because he understands that fashion is art and no fabric can bruise his masculinity.