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THE Zimbabwe Rugby Union membership meets in Harare today to choose a new president and his two deputies.
That election will be the highlight of the annual meeting for the country’s third biggest sport after football and cricket.
Elections by their nature can be divisive as candidates go full throttle in selling their manifestos.
We however, call upon both the electorate and the candidates to ensure that by the time the proceedings at the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) boardroom end, it will be rugby which will be the winner.
The sport must be the one which will emerge stronger as elections are more of a constitutional requirement than a process to destroy the game for which a lot of young athletes aspire to play.
The ZRU by their nature have always been a close unit, something which their counterparts in football could draw from.
Thus, we hope that the annual meeting, which will precede the elections, will actually thrash out the challenges which might be confronting the game, put in place systems for progress and development which any inkling leadership should not have problems implementing.
Any sporting association leader is as good as the structures he works with.
It is pleasing that the ZRU go to the elections on the back of some successes they have scored including the hosting of some international competitions in the country.
Government is keen on leveraging on sport tourism and when such associations like Zimbabwe Cricket and ZRU secure the rights from their international federations to host competitions, it is also a vote of confidence in Zimbabwe.
Therefore, the ZRU electorate should focus on strengthening the growth that has been witnessed in schools and women’s rugby as the basis upon which the future of the sport can be built.
Rugby enthusiasts have endured a long wait for a place at the Rugby World Cup and regardless of the results of the elections, Zimbabwe must continue to aspire to play at the global showpiece.
The country was last represented at the World Cup in 1991.
Back then participation to the World Cup was by invitation, which means Zimbabwe’s Sables have struggled to make it to the World Cup since the introduction of qualifiers.
The ZRU have scored success at junior level and in the shorter version of the game, the Sevens, qualifying for the Junior World Trophy, winning the Barthes Trophy and securing a place at the Sevens World Cup on a number of occasions.
For any country to retain the interests of athletes, some of whom switch nationality and end up playing for South Africa and some European countries, ZRU must ensure that the men and women’s senior teams compete in the top global competitions which include the Olympic Games.
We urge the winning candidates and those who would have lost to put behind the election mode and unite for the good of the sport.
With unity the ZRU will be able to retain current corporate partners and even attract more.
Rugby is a sport which does not come cheap and the game certainly cannot afford to embark on unnecessary factional fights that can only serve to drive away sponsors.
All the candidates that are contesting have been in the game for some time and we can only say may the best man or woman win.
And may rugby be the ultimate winner and all involved must ensure ZRU elections can be a shining example which all other local sporting associations can take a leaf from.
There will also be a need for the ZRU to work on aligning some constitutional loopholes that have often seen the schools seemingly doing their own business and appearing to be answerable only to themselves.
Online Reporter