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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
SABLES’ coach Brendan Dawson believes that the extended squad that was released yesterday is a combination of youth and experience that should be able to withstand the 12 weeks of rugby that begins with next month’s Currie Cup in South Africa.
The Zimbabwe rugby team comprises of 32 backline players and 21 forwards.
The team will take part in the Currie Cup under the Goshawks tag. The Sables have pencilled March 21 as their departure day for Cape Town. They will be based in Cape Town for the duration of the Currie Cup tournament beginning with a two-week camp before their first game against Georgia on April 2.
Dawson said the door is still open for some of the players that are still committed elsewhere.
“I think we have got a lot of youth and experience in there and it looks pretty well balanced, and obviously going into Currie Cup it is going to be a test for all the youngsters that are in the squad that is going to play for the Goshawks for the first time and playing Currie Cup for the first time. I am very excited, I am very happy with the squad, and obviously, there are a couple of guys that haven’t made it due to commitments elsewhere, and unavailability because of work, and commitments with their clubs,” said Dawson.
The team will also provide a perfect platform for good preparations ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.
“With the itinerary that we are looking at, obviously Currie Cup going forward, making sure that we use the Currie Cup as a great building platform for the future, and for the World Cup qualifiers, we are going to use some of these players as a good back-up for some of the foreign-based players that will come later into the squad,” said Dawson.
Sables manager, Jason Maritz, says although they have released a wider squad, the door is still open for other players that have been overlooked.
Plans are afoot for a warm-up match against one of the participating provincial teams either on the March 26 or 27.
The Sables technical team is then expected to announce the final team on May 22 that will travel to France for the World Cup qualifiers.
Maritz commended some of their partners that have availed resources for the Sables team.
“So it is going to be a very busy schedule over the next couple of months, lots of rugby to look forward to, (we are) very thankful for the sponsors that have come on board already, and we are open to more dialogue with others that would want to get involved behind a cause that could potentially change the face of rugby in Zimbabwe going forward,” said Maritz.
Dawson is also looking at building up a formidable side for next year’s tournament.
“We will build the confidence of the guys to play at the top level so that next year we are twice as competitive, and strive to win the competition next year, so the itinerary is really hectic, and it’s going to be really tough sort of campaign that we are going to go through, and a lot of training, lot of gym work, a lot of fitness work, so we are really looking forward to it and I think it is going to be good,” said Dawson.
Meanwhile, the ZRU successfully held their training and education workforce at Peterhouse in Marondera at the weekend.
The pair of Abigail Kawonza and Simba Dangah conducted a Level One match officiating course on Sunday.
The course was attended by 12 young girls and six young men who had completed the online requirements for them to attend the face to face Level One.
Currie Cup Goshawks and Wider Sables squad
Forwards
Farai Mudariki, Cleopas Kundiona, Gabriel Sipapate, Doug Juscczyk, Bornwell Gwinji, Victor Mupunga, Dean Makoni, Michael Kumbirai, Demos Mbauya, Panashe Rukodzi, Tyran Fagan, Aaron Juma, Mathew Mandiona, Declan Ralphs, David Makamba, Godwin Mangenje, Kudakwashe Nyakufaringwa, Goerge Saungweme, Godfrey Muzanaragwo, Sean Beevor, Tonderai Chiwambutsa, Johan Stander, Biselele Tshamala, Mungo Mason, Aiden Burnett, Sebastian Roche, Nyasha Tarusenga, Kelvin Kanenungo, Buthe Mavesere, Connor Prtichard, Jason Fraser, Tapiwa Tsomondo.
Backs
Hilton Mudariki, Kyle Galloway, Keith Chiwara, Brendon Curle, Boyd Rouse, Takudzwa Chieza, Marcus Nel, Ngoni Chibuwe, Russell Dinha, Riaan O’neill, Darrel Makwasha, Shayne Makombe, Mathew McNab, Takudzwa Kumadiro, Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, Munashe Chaitezvi, Tapiwa Mafura, Daniel Capsopoulos, Brendon Mandivenga, Tawanda Matipano, Connor Kennedy
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