Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE Manicaland Rugby administration – working hand-in-glove with their national governing body – has embarked on a concerted grassroots development drive that is already starting bearing fruits with selected juniors making the grade in different age group national teams.
Only recently, Wilbroad Moyo, Dean Makweche and Takudzwa Dembaremba, all from Mutare Sports Club, made it into Zimbabwe Under 20 training squad.
There is also another player, Brendon Jameson, who is doing his tertiary education at Africa University, who was part of last Saturday’s Zimbabwe Under-20 squad that lost to Zim A 17:76 at Harare Sports Club.
Makweche and Dembaremba played in this year’s Harare Province Under-20 League under Old Hararians, eyeing for places in the Zimbabwe Under-20 team that played at the Barthes Trophy.
However, Moyo and the other boys like Djibril Manyuchi and Kudzai Sakirai, Tinotenda Marara, Machodo played in the inaugural Manicaland Under-20 League games at Mutare Boys’ High School.
The league had five teams, Mutare Boys’ High, Eastern Giants, Mutare Sports Club, Bateleurs and Spartans.
Mutare Boys’ High lifted the Under-20 league title.
Manicaland Rugby Board chairperson, Mos Kapumha said: “These leagues have seen the development of the sport in high-density suburbs like Chikanga, Sakubva, Dangamvura, and surrounding areas using the 7s format which should see them grow to formidable 15s clubs.
“In these ghettos and districts, we are managing to identify and nurture raw talent and breaking the barriers. Next will be to go to the districts for some educational coaching courses.
“This week, starting on 24 October (yesterday), we will be going to Chipinge for a Rugby Level One Coaching Course, and on the 25th, we will be in Honde Valley at Hauna Growth Point for the same course. On Saturday, we conduct another one at Mutare Sports Club.”
Kapumha said initiative to spread knowledge and skills of the game is meant to foster self-growth, create employment opportunities in schools, tertiaries, clubs, academies or national teams.
“This will aid in upskilling the prospective and current coaches, making sure that they are equipped and certified. Courses have been lacking in our sport at provincial and national levels, hence the Zimbabwe Rugby president instructed that courses to be rolled out so that at least 1 000 new qualified coaches are produced nationally.
“The next step will be to introduce officiating courses early in 2025, coaching Levels One and Two, 7s coaching, medical and strength and conditioning. Qualifications are important as they help coaches for self-growth, employment opportunities in schools, tertiaries, clubs, academies or national teams,” he said.
He said plans are afoot for the establishment of local High Performance Centre (HPC).
“We now await the High Performance Centre in Manicaland Province, where male and female players are identified and integrated into the HPC, where they get the requisite dietary, nutrition, gym and training to prepare them for the next the national Under-20s, Sables or Cheetahs. Players who are identified from the seven districts – Chipinge, Chimanimani, Buhera, Mutare, Mutasa, Makoni and Nyanga – will benefit from the HPC, making our provincial players competitive,” he said.
