Kawonza speaks on women’s rugby

Mbachi Mutukula-Maregere Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE women’s team rugby coach, Abigail Kawonza, says the 2013 season was largely a flop as teams were unable to fulfill their fixtures both in the national league and local tournaments. Kawonza feels national team coaches will have a difficult time to assemble strong sides for international tournaments next year.

The women’s teams, of late, have not been able to play their matches in national league and domestic local tournaments.

“Next year will be a hectic year for the national team if the local clubs continue to miss their fixtures. This is the platform that we need to watch and select the national teams,” said Kawonza.

“During the league the players were not coming. They could not participate in the sevens series. It is sad because these are good opportunities.

“The sevens was a very good platform and provided good exposure.

The 2013 league was a flop.

“We need to see more rugby being played because next season we need a strong squad for the national team. It is difficult for the coaches to see who has the talent when the players are not pitching up for their fixtures.”

Kawonza said there was need to tap talent from schools as part of a process to build a stronger and competitive national team in the future.

“In 2016 we have the Olympics and the current players, who are mothers, are committed to other things. They might not be able to make it so we need to go and search in the schools,” said Kawonza.

“It is unfortunate that women’s teams are not sponsored, unlike the men’s teams. We had instances where the players were wearing t-shirts and not jerseys at league games.

“If women could only get bus fare then they will be happy, but we do not have that.

“At the Middleburg tournament (in South Africa), women had only one pair of socks and they were washing them at night after the match for use the next day.

“It is unacceptable. We need to focus on women to develop the sport to the full. It is well and good to put everything on paper but we need to implement.”

Meanwhile, Kawonza has commended the newly-formed Cubs women’s team after they took part at the sevens series at Harare Sports Club last weekend.