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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
UNDER-20 rugby league matches were played on Saturday at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds to kick-start the Bulawayo Metropolitan Rugby Football Board (BMRFB) 2023 season.
Three out of four matches were played on the day as the last encounter of the season opener was cancelled.
Bulawayo Ladies team registered the first win of the season with a 7-5 win against Plumtree Queens. In other matches played, Hornets thumped Bulldogs 33-12 while Western Suburbs registered the biggest win after crushing Plumtree Buffaloes 39-7. The match that was cancelled was between Highlanders and Raging Bulls which was meant to be the last encounter of the day.
Reasons for cancellation of the match were that Highlanders pulled out after some of their players are said to have had other commitments. The game will be played on a date yet to be advised.
As the players got back to the field, BMRFB also started a skills development programme for all children in Bulawayo aged between eight and 13 years old. The programme will be done every Saturday before matches. Parents and schools can bring their children, boys and girls and it is free of charge.
Last season, local rugby ended on a high note with the Unforgettable Sevens Rugby Festival which was held at Hartsfield where schools, women, men (both senior and junior) teams took part. More festivals are expected to be held this year.
During the last festival, Christian Brothers College (CBC) were crowned champions in the Under-20s event after a win against Milton Boys High in the final. CBC won the match 19-12 to be crowned the best Under-20 boys on the day while Warriors once again proved to be one of the city’s finest teams after emerging overall winners after they overcame Highlanders 21-0.
The Under-20 league is set to run up until mid-March and will continue this coming Saturday at Hartsfield. — @brandon_malvin
Online Reporter