The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
MANICALAND’S flagship rugby outfit – Mutare Sports Club – will get down to National Premier League action when they host Harare Sports Club, better known in rugby circles as the Red Lions, at Mutare Sports Club tomorrow (Saturday).
The match kicks off at 3.30pm.
Other teams in the NPL played their opening games of the National Premier league last weekend and the Sumbaz – as Mutare Sports Club are fondly referred by generations of their followers – were on a bye.
The National Premier League has seven clubs which include Harare Sports Club, Mutare Sports Club, Police Defenders, XP Horns, University of Zimbabwe, Old Georgians and Old Hararians.
The league will run for seven weeks before the commencement of the play-offs.
Buoyed by their recent illustrious exploits in the Blessed Gerard Sevens Tournament in Maseru, Lesotho, Tinashe Gombakomba, one of the senior players in the Mutare Sports Club camp, said: “Looking at the rugby season ahead of us, I feel very optimistic about attaining championship in the National Rugby League.
“Having won the sevens tournament in Maseru in Lesotho, the guys are fired up and that achievement also provided the necessary and much-needed confidence boost. The players have been working very hard to guarantee victories to their much-loved fans and families, especially during home games.”
Their team manager Casper Bandi said: “I have so much confidence in my team and management. We are doing whatever it takes to come out on top. I clearly see no reason why we should not perform well this season.
“As a team we are very positive and looking forward to host Harare Sports Club. The boys are focused and Harare Sports Club are a very good team with good players and we know what they are capable of doing. But we believe we are equal to the task at hand.”
Bandi said they are not reading into their opponent’s emphatic triumph from the last weekend’s round of matches.
“Last weekend they (Harare Sports Club) won with a huge margin, but on Saturday we will be ready for them and I am sure we will give them a good fight. It will be an exciting cat fight. Our main objective as a club is to finish in the top three and qualify for the play-offs,” he said.
