tawandamusarurwa
Sports Reporter
THE minute Prince Edward (PE) and Churchill Boys were put in different pools at the start of last week’s President’s Schools Rugby Cup, it seemed all but certain they would meet in the final.
However, what many did not expect was that these two fierce rivals would not only live up to expectations but exceed them as well.
Churchill Bulldogs were crowned the inaugural President’s School Rugby Cup champions, when they overcame Prince Edward Tigers 17-12 in a wildly entertaining final at the Harare Showgrounds’ Glamis Arena.
Flyhalf Joseph Chiriseri put up a man-of-the-match performance as he finished with a try, penalty and two conversions, while Buyiswa Swausenkosi added another try for the Bulldogs. Prince Edward got on the scoreboard from tries by Wayne Kunaka and Tiamke Mlambo.
Kunaka, the Tigers’ pint-sized scrumhalf, also added a conversion to his tally.
The day, however, belonged to the Bulldogs, who managed to avenge two straight losses against their fierce rivals, much to the delight of their coach Geoff Madhake. “I am overjoyed; happy for the lads, happy for the supporters and just glad that we managed to redeem ourselves and restore some pride,” said Madhake.
“We lost twice to these guys during the season, and we really wanted this win today.”
It is a satisfactory end to an unremarkable season for Churchill, who failed to fulfil some of their fixtures, while other teams refused outright to play them.
Inflicting defeat on their biggest rivals — and in a cup final, for that matter — left the seasoned gaffer proud.
“We both had two easy games and two hard games, as PE had an easy match-up against Plumtree and we had one against Mt Pleasant.
“We had a tough match-up against Milton and they played one against Wise Owl.
“Going into this final, we were evenly matched, and my boys just wanted it more.
“We lost twice to these guys during the season; we needed to win this one and redeem ourselves,” he said.
His opposite number and national Under-20 coach Shaun De Souza congratulated Churchill for the victory.
“I think it was a good game,” he said.
“Coming into this tie, the plan was to blood some of the youngsters for next year and we gave a lot of the Form Fours a run.
“I think our future is bright in that regard.”
The Harare derby turned out to be the perfect tonic for the rugby fiesta.
“Yeah, this was a very good tournament and we witnessed high levels of competition and entertainment from all the eight teams that participated,” said Kudakwashe Mutenda, the man who bankrolled the tourney.
“We tried to be all-inclusive, as we had everything, from high- and low-density (areas), Government and private schools taking part. “Everyone brought their A-game, as evidenced by some of the close games that we saw. “The attendance numbers were very good and actually exceeded our expectations,” he said.
Madhake and De Souza both lauded the initiative.
“It is a very good tournament. The idea is very noble and, looking at it from an Under-20 perspective, one can never go wrong with more game time,” said De Souza.
“It is a fantastic tournament, a good initiative, and I just wish they had given us more time to prepare,” added Madhake.
“The time could have been better as some kids are preparing for exams, and I actually had as many as four players who couldn’t make it today because of that.
“It was quite crucial for them to be here and play, but I couldn’t argue with the parents, as we have to strike a balance between education and sport.
“Other than that, this is a really good tournament.”
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter