adminPaul Munyuki Sports Reporter
DAIRIBORD Zimbabwe Limited managing director Tatenda Napata says his company is committed to making sure rugby talent is supported in the country thus their commitment to partner Prince Edward School for the annual schools festival.
The Prince Edward Dairibord Schools Rugby Festival was launched yesterday and according to festival director Tawanda Jimu, 196 school teams, including four foreign sides from Botswana and Malawi, are expected to take part in the rugby jamboree, which is scheduled to run from April 24 to 30 at Prince Edward School.
The festival has once again seen an increase in the number of teams taking part as 184 teams played at last year’s schools rugby event.
Though the sponsorship package figures could not be disclosed, this is the third year that Dairibord will be bankrolling the festival.
“The most important thing is for us to make sure that the quality of rugby improves. We are not putting a monetary value, but as Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited we will make sure that all the festival needs are met.
“We would like to make sure that the standards and quality of rugby improves each year and as a business, we are humbled to be partnering with such an initiative where we help in adding value to schools rugby,” said Napata.
The festival will this year run under the theme “Attracted to Greatness”.
“Malawi High Performance will bring in two teams, one of them being a girls’ team, Botswana is also expected to field two teams and Kuwadzana High will also, for the first time, come with a girls’ team.
“So this has seen the number of teams taking part in this year’s festival increasing to 196,” added Jimu.
This year’s festival will run for exactly one week concurrently with the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy where 23 of the players in the Zimbabwe squad that was named on Tuesday having featured at the Dairibord festival over the last three years.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union director of rugby Brighton Chivandire believes the Young Sables side is capable of getting at least two wins in the competition that gets underway in six days’ time at Harare Sports Club.
Coach Brandon Brider made wholesale changes to his Under-20 side after including 11 new faces to the side that finished as runners-up to Namibia in the Junior Africa Cup last year.
“I think it’s a fairly balanced squad, it’s a good side that shares a two-year window but there are players who have played (Under-18) Craven Week twice and that is a high profile tournament and any player who would have played at that (Craven Week) level is quality enough to play at this (WRT) tournament.
“We have players that have played Craven Week twice, the likes of Stephen Bhasera, Aiden Burnett (once), so we will have a lot of experience in regards to young quality players coming through, the likes of Shingi Katsvere, who is an outstanding youngster,” said the former Sables lock.
Seven of the changes have been made to the forwards pack where Cole Bond (St John’s College), Tanaka Chikwezvero (Maritzburg, SA), Tinashe Gonese (Hillcrest), Ronald Jiri (Dale College), Muchineripi Mangenje (Prince Edward), Francis Mungwari (SA) and Panashe Sora (Prince Edward) have all been dropped.
Russell Dinha (Prince Edward), Joshua Gando (Lomagundi), Matthew Ushewokunze (Falcon College) and Ngoni Zinyama (UK) are the four players that were dropped from last year’s qualifier side that lost to Namibia in the final.
Chivandire announced the squad at the Union offices on Tuesday afternoon, moments after the World Rugby trophy, which had been confiscated by ZIMRA, was handed back to them.
Young Sables Squad:
Forwards: Connor Pritchard (Falcon College), Aiden Burnett (St John’s College), Justin Mendelsohn (Sharks), Rodrick Mubaiwa (UK), Tinotenda Musasanura (CBC), Kudakwashe Ndoro (Prince Edward), Martin Shioma (Limpopo Blue Bulls), Stephen Bhasera (UJ), Jeff Makoni (PE), Tatenda Zhoya (UJ), Daniel Nyamugama (Freestate), Lebogang Ngwenya (USA), T. Muchena (SGC), K. Chisango (SGC), Tapiwa Mangwana (Aus).
Backs: Tadiwa Gochera (St Benedict’s College), Shingirai Katsvere (Prince Edward), Mudiwa Manhombo (St Benedict’s College), Tatenda Matoramusha (Prince Edward), Ernest Mudzengerere (Prince Edward), Tawanda Ngosi (Durban), Sam Phiri (Falcon), Tarisai Mapfumo (Kyle), Kudzaishe Munangi (Maritzburg), Angus Bruce (SGC), Takudzwa Gamanya (Kyle)
Coach: Brandon Brider
Assistant: Bob Mahari
Manager: Shaun de Souza
Physio: Maggie Gibson
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