Khumalo new ZRU manager

Khumalo is expected to start duty as the Union national development manager on August 1, to fill the void that was left open by the death of Modreck Makotose.
Makotose died last year at the end of April and since then the cash strapped ZRU did not have a development manager.
Initially Khumalo was expected to take over as the Union general manager following the departure of Grant Mitchell early this year but he has now been appointed to a lesser position.
Khumalo is an International Rugby Board coach educator a qualification that the Zimbabwe Under-20 technical duo of coach Brighton Chivandire and his assistant Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa hold.
While working for the Botswana Rugby Union, Khumalo was in charge of coach development and training but he is expected to face a huge challenge given the harsh environment of Zimbabwe rugby.
At the moment, there are no meaningful coach training and development programmes owing to the lack of funding in the ZRU and the big question is how he will conduct his duties in technically bankrupt union.
Last year the ZRU suspended developmental programmes as they admitted that they were broke and only relied on the International Rugby Board’s annual grant to cater for administrative use, development, tours, and tournaments.
The 34-year old Khumalo has been based in Botswana for 14 years and has been the Botswana rugby development manager since 2005 where he is believed to have played a huge role in the development of the game in that country.
The ZRU board recently met to discuss the finer details of hiring Khumalo who is currently in Bulawayo having resigned from the BRU post.
At the same time, the ZRU are yet to appoint a substantive general manager as Sifiso Made was appointed in an acting capacity, taking over from Mitchell last March.
Meanwhile, the same old ghost that has been haunting the ZRU for more than a decade now has come to haunt them again after the Victoria Cup was cancelled. The Sables were expected to play their first game on Saturday against Uganda but lack of sponsorship has put their bid for more silverare in limbo.
This is despite the fact that the Sables brand is handled by a local firm — Dominus Sport — as their marketing and sponsorship consultants has given rise to more questions than answers on their sport marketing ability. Dominus are also involved in the marketing of cricket as well where they are among other things, responsible for the Stanbic T20 tournament but they have not managed to transform their success in cricket to rugby.
Their first contract was with the Cheetahs where they staged the Spar International Sevens at Harare Sports Club in March before signing with the Sables.
Zimbabwe’s lack of funding in the game and Uganda’s admittance that they do not have money to take part in the event this year has resulted in the tournament being cancelled.
Sables committee chairman Bongai Zamchiya confirmed that this year’s edition of the Victoria Cup has been scrapped. Zamchiya added that the Sables committee is expected to come up with a plan to make sure that the Sables remain active so that they do not lose form before the World Cup qualification campaign starts.
l In the schools league Peterhouse are preparing for their rugby tour England that will run from August 25 to September 10.