The ManicaPost
Blessing Gondokondo Sports Reporter —
FORMER Hillcrest rugby ace, Ngonidzashe Chibuwe, who is presently playing for South Africa’s Sharks Sevens rugby team launched a rugby academy in Mutare for the purpose of nurturing talent in local rugby players.
At 22, Chibuwe has defied all odds in his rugby career and has decided to plough back to colleagues he used to play rugby with before leaving for South Africa where he is playing for Sharks Sevens.
He came back to share professional rugby experience with younger players and some players of his age who had no chance to experience the same exposure with him together with Manicaland Rugby Board.
Manicaland rugby had retrogressed in recent seasons.
This has motivated Chibuwe to concentrate on reviving and spreading professional skills he has learned from the best rugby coaches in the world whom he has worked under.
In an interview, Chibuwe, said the idea of forming an academy was always in his mind since cutting his rugby playing milk teeth. He is of the opinion that the game needs to be decentralise across the country.
“The love of the game motivated me to encourage upcoming rugby players. Since I started playing for Sharks Sevens in November 2015 I have had opportunities to meet world class rugby coaches. Through my interaction with the coaches I realised the importance of establishing an academy back home,” said Chibuwe.
“The aim of the academy is to spread the game of rugby to the less privileged and to intensify the commitment of rugby playing schools in Mutare so that we get to retake our position and to uplift young players to play in the national teams as well.” The academy is called Hearts of Stones and was launched last week. It is targeting youngsters from the age of 10 to professional players in Mutare.
Chibuwe thanked MRB for helping him to realise his dreams.
Meanwhile, Chibuwe in conjunction with MRB have launched a Rugby Week, which is a day of professional training. Chibuwe will be training rugby players from all ages to senior players.
The rugby week was launched last Wednesday and ended on Tuesday.
