Online Reporter
Collin Matiza
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Shaun De Souza Rugby Academy (SDRA24) successfully hosted its inaugural Community Rugby 10s Tournament at Old Hararians Sports Club on Saturday — a vibrant showcase of grassroots rugby development, community spirit and youth empowerment.
The tournament brought together seven academies — SDRA24, Dolphins, Little Giants, Genesis, Mother Patrick, Chi-town Crusaders and Shield — competing across the Under-11, Under-15 and Under-16 age categories.
The event celebrated not only rugby talent but also important social causes, held in conjunction with “Say No to Drugs” and in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
There were some outstanding performances from all teams, with strong youth participation from community academies.
Intense semi-finals showcased technical skill and teamwork, underscoring the strength of youth rugby development.
In the Under-11 section, Dolphins beat SDRA24 20-0 in the final, while their Under-15 team beat the same opponents 17-7 in the final.
In the Under-16 final, SDRA24 got the better of Chi-town Crusaders 26–10.
Shield claimed third place after a spirited 24–7 win over Dolphins. There were also some outstanding performances by several individual players, with Matifadza Makweza of SDRA24 being voted the best forward in the under-11 age group.
Tovimbanashe “Blossom Peach” Gasva of Little Giants walked away with the best back award. It was an outstanding performance by a young girl among the boys, inspiring inclusivity in rugby.
In the Under-15 section, Tinashe Chikwata of SDRA24 did well to win the best forward award while the best back was Naishe Moshoshe of Dolphins. The award for the best forward in the Under-16 section went to Prince Konde of SDRA24, and he was emulated by his teammate David Matibvu, who won the best back award.
The one-day tournament was really a celebration of grassroots rugby.
In fact, the SDRA24 Rugby 10s Tournament exemplified the power of community collaboration in nurturing young talent.
The event reinforced the Academy’s mission to balance rugby and education, instil discipline, and build pathways for future national representation. Founder and head coach Shaun De Souza expressed gratitude to all participants, partners and supporters, noting, “This tournament marks the beginning of a long-term vision — to create opportunities for young players to grow, compete, and dream big through rugby. The community’s support was exceptional, and we’re already looking forward to an even bigger edition next year.
“The major concern is age regulation and a player database would resolve the discrepancies.
“We picked up a few issues but let the event proceed, acknowledging the concerns, but will definitely work on an accreditation system.”
De Souza added, “The Shaun De Souza Rugby Academy (SDRA24) is dedicated to developing the next generation of Zimbabwean rugby players through structured training, mentorship, and values-based education.
“The academy focuses on holistic athlete development — building character, discipline, and technical excellence from Under-9s to Under-19s.
“SDRA24 extends heartfelt appreciation to all dignitaries, partners, and friends who contributed to making the event a resounding success.
“Special thanks to the SDRA24 ‘mummies’ for the vibrant food stalls and to Old Hararians Sports Club for hosting this event.”
A success story for this event was that of Chitungwiza-based Chi-town Crusaders Rugby Academy who had no kit for the tournament and Valvert Petroleum showed true community spirit through Itai Chataurwa who jumped in to sponsor the team’s kit.
The boys looked good and enjoyed the event.
Chi-town Crusaders’ coaches, Chris Katira, Nigel Zambezi and Dominic Jambo, were overjoyed by the gesture from Valvert Petroleum who have been instrumental in supporting grassroots rugby.
Saturday’s exciting event was also graced and supported by a number of prominent people in the local rugby circles.
Among the special guests and officials were Godwin Murambiwa of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union, the union’s board member, Latifa Kassim, Jackie Jani, Lindiwe Munerenyu, the Harare Province Chairper-son, and Hilton Mudariki, the Zimbabwe Sables captain.
