Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo [email protected]
TRADITIONAL giants Old Miltonians (OMs) and Matabeleland Warriors are once again set to clash for the top honours as the curtain comes down on the 2026 Bulawayo Metropolitan Rugby Football Board (BMRFB) Championship at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds this Saturday.
OMs go into Saturday’s final as defending champions and chasing a historic three-peat having won the previous two editions, last year and in 2024. Their foes, Warriors, on the other hand will be hoping to end the Old Boys’ dominance and once, again, land their hands on the trophy that has eluded them for two years.
The derby, which is the most anticipated encounter on the local calendar has been the mainstay final for a long time and Saturday’s match promises yet another enthralling showdown between two good teams.
Not only will the two sides clash in the men’s final, the women’s final will also see them square off again.
This year’s league is one of only two provincial leagues(the other being Manicaland) that have run in Zimbabwe this year after the loss of the corporate sponsor going into this season with the provincial board shouldering the financial burden of running of the league.
Speaking ahead of the final weekend, BMRFB vice chairperson, Tafadzwa George Hlatshwayo said they are happy with the way went throughout the season, adding that this has been one of their longest campaigns.
He said what made this league memorable is that there were memorable matches.
“The curtain is coming down on the 2026 BMRFB Senior League and this year’s league broke our previous longest running league as it has run for 15 weeks. This year’s league gave us some of the greatest rugby matches we have ever watched in a while as well as upsets.
“League new comers Raiders gave us memorable matches as they defeated last year’s third placed team Mahogany Bulls, who themselves managed to beat our defending champions Old Miltonians,” he said.
Hlatshwayo gave credit to all the teams across the men’s and women’s league for the dedication they showed throughout the season.
He also called on the local rugby faithful to come out in numbers on Saturday and rally behind their teams.
“As we close our league we would like to appreciate all the participating teams for all the hard work throughout this long season not forgeting our loyal fans who have week in week out come out in their numbers to support our Rugby.
“As we head towards the last weekend of the season, our call goes to all fans to once again come out in numbers and make the finals memorable. We promise it’s going to be fireworks,” he said.
OMs booked their place in the final after a clinical performance against Mahogany Bulls in the semi-finals this past Saturday. OMs won the encounter 32-8, in what was a redemption result having lost to the Gweru based outfit in their last round-robin game.
Only seven points separated Warriors and a stubborn Western Suburbs Panthers side in what was an intense affair in the other semi-final. The eventual finalists, Warriors won the match 24-17 to give themselves a shot at silverware. They also had faced Panthers in their last group phase match, which they won as well.
With OMs and Warriors lining up for yet another final, Panthers and Mahogany Bulls will battle it out for third place while Highlanders and championship debutants, Raiders square off in the fifth place play-off encounter.
It will be another derby encounter in the Women’s Championship where OMs will be up against Warriors as well. The two sides have enjoyed a stellar campaign so far in the league and their match promises to be yet another exhilarating game between two equally good sides.
OMs Ladies reached the final at the back of a 41-15 win over Bulldogs while Warriors made light work of Wildcats, winning 45-5.
The Women’s third place play-off match will then see Bulldogs go toe to toe with Wildcats in an effort to claim bronze and end their seasons on a high note.
With the curtain coming down on this year’s championship, entry into the stadium is pegged at US$1 for rest of ground and US$2 for the shade.
