Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema-Zimpapers Sports Hub
SHAUN DE SOUZA wears many hats within the confines of Zimbabwe age-group rugby.
He is the coach of both the Zimbabwe Junior Sables and Prince Edward School’s First XV – The Tigers.
This year, the seasoned gaffer added yet another cap to his already glowing resume when his Shaun De Souza Rugby academy SDRA24 made their debut in the Harare Under-20 Rugby League.
The SDRA24 Under-19 outfit had a largely successful debut, making it all the way to the final where they eventually lost to giants Pitbulls 24-12 at Old Hararians Sports Club last Saturday.
Despite his many tasks, it is naturally the national duty that De Souza holds in high esteem and pride.
“Yeah, I have been in the schools system and running the Zimbabwe Under-20 High Performance pro-gramme in the background for some time now, and it’s very exciting,” said De Souza.
“It’s a challenge to wear so many hats but I see it as a privilege to be so deeply enshrined in the schools system.
“The many hats I wear allow me to have a greater view and appreciation of these players, especially from a technical view-point.
“I get to watch them, watch them week in and week out during the schools’ rugby season, and then get to have them in the high-performance and Junior Sables programmes.
“It’s a blessing,” he said.
De Souza has just wrapped up his first obligations with SDRA24 and has called the just-ended Harare Under-20 Rugby League, his team’s debut, an eye-opening experience.
This year’s Barthes Trophy will be held on August 5-16, giving the Zimbabwe Under-20 team ample time to prepare for the continental tournament.
And the Harare Under-20 Rugby League was the first stage in De Souza’s grand master plan to scout, give his charges some game time and identify work-ons.
Of course, this year’s Barthes Trophy will resume the relegation and promotion format, giving the gaffer a huge incentive to reclaim his title.
“Following the announcement from Rugby Africa that the Barthes Trophy will now be hosted by Uganda later this year, we are all excited,” he said.
“I think from a personal perspective, the fact that when we went on our first tour and we have the Harare Under-20 Rugby League and still have the schools season to come, we are on the right track.
“We want to reclaim our title, especially now that we have the Junior World Trophy or World Championship qualification in 2027 to look out for. “The first stage was the Harare Under-20 Rugby League and it was eye-opening.
“The High-Performance Junior Sables programme began during the Under-20 League. We were monitoring the players that went on the pre-season Abu Dhabi tour in December.
“Some of them then ventured off to university, the Sharks Academy, Stellenbosch Academy in Cape Town, and then universities. However, we decided to give us this opportunity to have a look at other guys coming into the first teams and those putting their hands up for selection,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Under-20 coach was happy with what he saw during the five-week season and believes the league also opened up his eyes to some areas that need work. “I am excited to see our depth chart continue to grow as many of the players put their hands up.
“We were even afforded an opportunity to field and hold a scrimmage match between the Zimbabwe Un-der-20 green and white, which gave us an opportunity to have a run out and see what combinations we have going forward.
“A lot of youngsters still in the school system got the opportunity to come and play in the high-performance game.
“It gives us an opportunity to track them during the school season, while we have our High-Performance programme running in the background with gym sessions and field sessions on Sundays,” he said.
