Kawonza making a difference in rugby

CAPE TOWN. — The inclusion, and integration of women in sports, has been a contentious topic over the years.

As the industry continues to open space for women, all around the world, International Women’s month is a good time to not only commemorate pioneers, such as Abigail Kawonza, who have pushed boundaries and opened doors for other women but to also celebrate the work done to date.

Having been involved in rugby for over two decades, Kawonza has witnessed the industry’s many wins and losses.

However, in her role as one of Rugby Africa’s Unstoppables, she has also seen, and celebrated, many developments, especially in a sport that was largely considered for men.

She notes that one of the major developments, in her time, is ‘’the widespread acceptance of women taking part in rugby tournaments, which used has helped to project the sport onto higher platforms, and expand its popularity.

“We have seen a change from just articles to women’s rugby being accepted in Olympics and Commonwealth Games.’’

Kawonza notes that some of the major improvements, she has seen on a global scale, include “the increase in funding, covering the development of the game in both sevens and the fifteens format, as well as younger and stronger players emerging.”

As the industry increasingly makes provision for women, Kawonza has also noted an increase in adequate skill levels to showcase great games at any level due to properly accredited coaches taking time to coach women.

“Let’s not forget qualified female technical staff taking the reins,” she said.

Kawonza’s passion for sport, and her journey as an Unstoppable, has also opened bigger opportunities for her, allowing her to make even wider strides towards opening the industry for other talented women rooting on the other side of the fence.

One of the key achievements has been her role as the president of the Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Association, which has opened opportunities, to better guide younger referees towards maintaining best practice.

Beyond the amazing strides Kawonza has made in her career, her tenure as an Unstoppable has further expanded her impact beyond Zimbabwe’s landscape.

“I appreciate that my influence has gone beyond the Zimbabwean borders as I also work closely with regional and international union boards”, she said.

“The recognition as an Unstoppable has opened doors for more women in Zimbabwe, and I intend to ride the wave for as long as I can.’’

Kawonza’s key focus has been to bridge the gap between talent search, and development, and foster talent that can soar to professional rugby heights.

Rugby Africa Referee Manager, Mudiwa Mundawarara, said “over the years, the support of the South African Rugby Union and French Rugby Federation has been tremendous.

“I am pleased that it will continue with greater emphasis on talent identification, on training and coaching of referees, from the rest of the continent.

“This will eventually lead to greater opportunities for them, through a selection process, drawn from the strengthened development cohorts.”

Beyond opening doors for young women, Kawonza’s role as an Unstoppable also enabled her to mentor upcoming players to be smart, about their careers, beyond the field.

“I have a different view as an ‘older’ if not the oldest Unstoppable — I encourage young women to pursue their education to the fullest because sport goes beyond what you do on the field.

“It’s about you being articulate, and able to represent yourself as a brand, in the world out there.

“This will help you go beyond the field when you reach your ‘shelf-life’ or even if playing is not your thing but still have that passion for rugby.”

Kawonza’s journey as a pioneer is far from over, as a believer in the power of mentorship, she says “everyone needs a hero and my vision is to build a mentorship programme for women, who have been successful in the field (coaching, match officiating, administration) where they too can be able to mentor the young women, on and off the field of play.” — APO Group.