Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
BULAWAYO Raiders Rugby Club coach Francis Nakamu has said that they were using their Unity Day encounter against visiting Great North Rugby Club from Botswana as means of seeing where they are falling short as they prepare to make their debut in the city’s Archer Clothing Rugby League.
The club, formed in September, was playing their first 15s game when they faced Great North at Hartfield Rugby Grounds. Despite a convincing 62-12 win, for Nakamu it was not about the result, but seeing out different combinations and trying to work on where they are falling short.
“It wasn’t all about winning, we were trying to learn and put the foundation for Raiders. Yes, we won but the key thing was playing our first 15s game. They guys pulled up, I am happy but there is room for improvement, we want Raiders to be the club to be here and we want to launch a very successful club that is going to represent Matabeleland with dignity and pride.
“We need to try and get bigger and more experienced guys. We have a lot of schoolboys so what we need to do now is to get a good number of seniors involved and then we would be good. We want to create a strong team and this was just the beginning, a lot more is coming from this Raiders side,” said Nakamu.
Club chairperson Silethokuhle “Slater” Ndlovu shared similar sentiments, adding that they are going to make Raiders a force to reckon with.
“As Raiders, we are not just here to add numbers, we are here to compete and challenge for trophies. We want to win, that’s our aim and in so doing, playing our part in the growth and development of the game we love.
“We finally made our 15s debut and people saw what we can do, from here, the plan is to grow stronger and stronger, get good players and create a formidable side. I am happy that we have had a full 80 minutes of rugby under our belt now, we take the lessons learnt and hope to work on them going forward,” said Ndlovu.
Bulawayo Raiders Rugby Club made their local debut earlier this year in the 2025 Bulawayo Metropolitan Rugby Football Board (BMRFB) Archer Clothing Sevens Series and were yet to play a competitive 15s fixture prior to their game against Great North. —@brandon_malvin
