All set for Craven Week

South Africa, where they want to present a good show.
Last week the Under-13 side put up a spirited performance that saw them win two of their three games at the festival, beating rivals Namibia in the process.
And the Young Sables are hoping to take over from where their juniors left. They are under the guidance of coach Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa, who four year ago, became the first coach to win all three games at the festival since 1980.
Twenty teams are expected to participate at the festival where Zimbabwe and Namibia will be the only foreign teams as hosts South Africa have 18 provincial and select sides playing at the week-long event.
And like in Zimbabwe’s Cottco schools rugby festival, most of the players will be aiming to catch the eye of their selectors for the South Africa Schools side. Playing at the Craven Week is a great opportunity and is every schoolboy rugby player’s dream and is a huge stepping stone to getting a scholarship, or catching the eyes of the scouts. But that’s no different for the Zimbabweans who will play with a lot of passion hoping to impress coaches Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa and Tungamirai Mashungu.
With Zimbabwe set to host the Under-19 Africa Cup in exactly two weeks at Prince Edward School, most of the players would want to impress Murambiwa, who is also the assistant coach in the Under-19 set-up.
Zimbabwe are likely play Namibia in what has become a traditional Saturday game for the rugby fiesta. Their opening fixture is against Border Country Districts on Tuesday morning and it is their performance in this game that will determine their following opponents.
Having gone into camp on Wednesday at Prince Edward School, the Under-18 side has been training at the school where they will be camped until they depart.
Only two players, centre Takudzwa Chieza from Kyle College and Lomagundi’s Gareth Meikle, are from the side that took part at the same event last year.
The Zimbabwe Under-19’s are set to defend their title at the Junior Africa Cup at Prince Edward in two weeks and a good performance for these schoolboys in South Africa could earn them a call-up to the senior side. Most of the players who take part at the Craven Week have, in the past, made it for the Junior Africa Cup teams and eventually graduate to the Under-20 side that take part at the Junior World Rugby Trophy.
The schools’ Under-18 side first went into camp two weeks ago where they trained under the close supervision of Murambiwa and this will be their final grouping before departure. Most of the players were free to represent their schools in the schools league over the next two weeks.
“We also have to look at the fact that the players who take part at the Craven Week are most likely to make it for the Under-19 Africa Cup and the Under-20 JWRT teams.
“We need to start building from the Craven Week side and this should filter into the Under-19, Under-20 and into the senior teams so that we have a good pool of players.
“Two boys from last year are in the current side and these are Chieza and Meikle and this means we will have to go for the tournament one player less than what we were supposed to,” said the former Sables coach.
But Murambiwa is content with doing duty with the players he has and a win in the opening game will definitely boost the moral of the schools side.
The Zimbabwe team will open their campaign at the festival with a date against Border Country Districts who they have met and beaten twice in the last four years.
Their performance against the South African side will determine their next opponents but in their last game they are likely to meet Namibia – whom they have beaten three times in the last four years.
Zimbabwe will have a chance to watch potential opposition teams play on Monday after their captain’s run.
Squads
Zimbabwe: Joshua Smallborne (St John’s College), Rees Surtees (St George’s), Andries van Heerden (Falcon), Bruk Jackson (Lomagundi), Ryan Zeederberg (Peterhouse), Daniel Rorke (St John’s College), Tapiwa Tsomondo (Prince Edward), Gareth Meikle (Lomagundi), Robbie Sargeant (Falcon), Delroy Masiyarira (Hillcrest), Brian Ndudzo (Peterhouse), Andrew Wilkinson (St John’s College), Takudzwa Chieza (Kyle), Wilson Seremani (St John’s College), Kudakwashe Makuvire (St George’s), Kuda Makanza (Peterhouse), Tatenda Zinyemba (St George’s), Kevin Merrington (St John’s College).
Border Country Districts: Shawn Abbott (King Edward), Nkosinathi Dila (Zimele), Dwanyne Gafney (King Edward), Gavin Huddon-Davies (King Edward), Robin Johnson (King Edward), Mvuyisi Kondlo (Jamangile), Sibulele Luningo (Jamangile), Anele Mgqukuza (CHB), Yolisa Mkumatela (Ugie), Loyiso Mnwana (Indwe), Buzwe Mpotulo (Elliot), Sikhulule Ndzo (Skentana), Juan-Louis Nel (King Edward), Thabo Ngcem (Mthatha), Siphelele Njobeni (Indwe), Siyavuya Ntaba (Ugie), Ntsika Nyalambisa (Skenjana), Devandre Sissing (King Edward), Luzuko Tyali (Mthatha), Jason van der Merwe (King Edward), Jason Viviers (King Edward), Lungile Yamba (CHB).
Opening Fixtures
July 11: Leopards v Namibia (10.25am), Eastern Province Country Districts v Valke (11.45am), Boland v Blue Bulls (1.05pm), Free State v Pumas (2.25pm), Griquas v South Western Districts (3.45pm).
July 12: Zimbabwe v Border Country Districts (10.25am), Griffons v Limpopo (11.45am), Golden Lions v Eastern Province (1.05pm), Western Province v KwaZulu-Natal (2.25pm), Griquas Country Districts v Border (3.45pm)