The ManicaPost
Fungayi Munyoro Sports Correspondent
THEIR success in the game has been extraordinary.
Within a short space of time, they were picked for national team duty.
To date, we can hardly talk of female rugby without mentioning Honde Valley’s Sahumani girls’ rugby team. At Sahumani High School, rugby was introduced in 2015.
Ever since, Sahumani has been the home of rugby in Manicaland Province.
The school’s coaches – Cris Nyakatsapa, Philip Mhangara and Patricia Makunike Chakanya – have dedicated their lives to developing the sport, while school head Moses Nyamukungwa is also in full support of the girls’ rugby.
As a result, the school has produced a lot of players for the national team.
Some of the Manicaland girls who have represented the country include Mavis Zunga, Privilege Mabhozhera and Fortunate Nyamavanga.
Zimbabwe Women’s Sevens rugby team coach Chiwara also picked Lorraine Nyagumbo, Catherine Muranganwa, Maybe Hambira, Mary Durwa, Velma Nyaumwe and Agnes Rori for the Lady Cheetahs’ training squad that he will be using for the 2020 season.
For the love of rugby
When Mary Dirwa took up rugby in 2018, she was just doing it for fun.
Two years later and at the age of 17, she is now pushing boundaries in a community that is infamous for child marriages.
“It is so sad that most girls in our village get married early. Some of these girls will be so talented in sport,” she said.
“I started playing rugby in 2018 after discovering that other girls were doing well in it. I wanted to play for the national team. I also want to play abroad and be able to take care of my family,” she said.
Ever since making her debut at the Dairiboard Schools Rugby Festival, Dirwa has been part of the Zimbabwe Under-18 national team.
She was part of the Under-18 national team that came second at the Craven Week Rugby Tournament in South Africa last year.
Dirwa said her day starts at 4am.
“I am from Samanga Village. I stay very far from school. My day starts with household chores so I wake up at 4am. I do the dishes, clean up and make fire before leaving home at 6am,” she said.
Dirwa, a Form Three student, is the eldest child in a family of three. Her siblings are in Form One and Grade Seven respectively.
Her parents are not formally employed. Dirwa revealed that her parents are very supportive and they attend her matches whenever they can.
Meet Cathrenine Muranganwa
Catherine Muranganwa is a Form Four student who hails from Makunike Village.
Every day, she has to walk a long distance to get to school.
Despite all that, she has been part of the national Under-18 team since 2017.
She was also part of the team that Zimbabwe Women’s Sevens team coach, Dereck Chiwara, picked last year.
Muranganwa recounts: “I started rugby in 2017. For me, it was love at first sight with rugby. I have grown to love the sport. It has given meaning to my life.”
“I make sure that I am up by 4am to do household chores and then I am off to school. I have learnt to strike a balance between school work, household chores and rugby. We train on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays,” she said.
She comes from a family of seven. Her father is late and her mother is a farmer.
