adminMehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
A Bulawayo camp is being arranged for the Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby team next week as the Young Sables prepare for next month’s Barthes Cup in Madagascar.
Young Sables coach, Farai Mahari said they want to bring the locally based players to Bulawayo on 24 March for a training camp where they will play the Matabeleland Warriors senior team at Hartsfield Rugby Ground. Mahari said the idea is to expose the youngsters to a more physical side to prepare them for the challenge posed by the Kenyans.
“We are planning a camp in Bulawayo at the end of March, we want to spend some days in Bulawayo and play against one of the top clubs in the city, Matabeleland Warriors to give our players the same kind of opposition as the Kenyans. Our final camp is in Harare from 6 April and we will announce our final squad of 25 players ahead of departure on 17 April,’’ said Mahari.
Trials were conducted at Churchill High School last Saturday where a squad of 50 players was named, of which 42 are in Zimbabwe while the other eight are based outside the country. The squad will be trimmed down to 32 ahead of the final camp.
Aiden Burnett, Tarisai Mapfumo, Timothy Jaravani, Edwin Nxumalo and Sam Phiri are some of the notable names based outside Zimbabwe. Nxumalo is, however, playing club rugby for Matabeleland Warriors in Bulawayo at the moment.
In Madagascar, the tournament runs from 17 to 23 April with the winner getting an opportunity to qualify for the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy to be held in Uruguay from 29 August to 10 September.
Zimbabwe have been given an opportunity to have a shot at qualifying for the World Rugby second tier Under-20 tournament after they lost 42-29 to Namibia at the African qualifiers held in Windhoek last year. The Young Sables, led by Phiri were actually leading that final 29-28 with 14 minutes left but a couple of mistakes got them punished by the Namibians.
Indications are that unlike in previous years when the qualifiers are held a year before, World Rugby have re-aligned the format such that the qualifiers and the tournament are held the same year. Zimbabwe will play against Kenya in the semi-finals while Namibia take on Madagascar with the winner going on to clash in the final to decide the Africa representative in Uruguay.
Zimbabwe national Under-20 rugby provisional squad: Edwin Nxumalo, Aspiration Mutore, Tinotenda Msasanure, Timothy Jaravani, Moses Gunda, Zvikomborero Muzorewa, Francis Hwanga, Aiden Burnett, Takudzwa Gamanya, Tapiwa Malenga, Russell Dinha, Kudakwashe Mundove, Sam Garnett, Shingirai Katsvere, Tinotenda Savanhu, Tawanda Mudyiwa, Shingirai Hlanguyo, Givemore Muchenje, Jeremiah Jaravaza, Tarisai Mapfumo, Richard Majuru, Muziwakhe Nkomo, Ralph Tirivanhu, Godfrey Magaramombe, Ryan Mhisumhi, Thamsanqa Ncube, Kudzanai Mvuri, Shalom Ngonidzashe, Scott Young, Ernest Mudzengerere, Ackim Dick, Deanne Makoni, Rodney Chikwamhi, Joseph Museba, Gerald Waterfall, Quinton Mashiri, Anthony Tanner, Jimias Masuku, Rodney Ncube, Theo Goredema, Tafadzwa Mubvumbi, Albert Garira, Tinashe Muchena, Pride Nyameni, Gregory Mhindu, Bornwell Gwinyi, Munashe Kamunda, Tendekai Chitendero, Sam Phiri.
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