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Tinashe Kusema-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S Lady Sables flew into the searing heat of the Ivorian capital Abidjan ahead of their connecting trip to San-Pedro where they are hoping to register success in the Rugby Africa Division One Women’s Tournament this weekend.
The second-tier continental tournament, scheduled to begin last night will run until April 20.
It will feature four teams, who will battle in a round-robin format with the winners, earning promotion into the top tier group.
The four are Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe and hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
Despite the West African heat, the Lady Sables were in high spirits and focussed on the mission at hand.
“We arrived safely in Cote d’Ivoire, early this morning (yesterday), at 3.50am,” said team manager Nayari Bakasa.
“We are have some way to travel as we head to San Pedro, where the games will be held, some 500km out of Abidjan.
“The temperatures are very high, but the girls are in high spirits in the lead up to our first game on Friday (tomorrow) against the hosts,’’ said Bakasa.
The heat is likely to be the least worry on the Lady Sables technical team’s mind given youth and exuberance in the squad.
It doesn’t really need a rocket scientist to decode Zimbabwe coach Nsikelelo “Sykes” Sibanda thinking when he sat down to trim his extended Lady Sables squad from 59 to just 30 last weekend.
By his own admission, Sibanda notes that promotion from the Rugby Africa Division One Women’ group would be ideal, although not necessarily the immediate goal.
The Zimbabwe senior women’s national team coaching job has a quick turnaround and Sibanda hopes to blood as many young players as possible and start rebuilding his side as soon as possible.
He, resultantly, named a rather youthful 30-member squad that will take part in the tournament.
The squad blends a handful of experienced campaigners and hordes of emerging talent, including the likes of Gabriella Chawatama, Fadzai Mandizha, and rising star Ruvimbo Mudyanadzo.
Sibanda has handed the captaincy to Skumbuzo Muchenje.
She will be supported by two vice-captains, Vimbai Dewa and Tarren Munodaani, with the trio expected to provide leadership and guidance to an otherwise youthful team.
Muchenje to her credit has taken up the responsibility to lead and guide like a champ.
She was upbeat about her team’s chances, shortly before the Lady Sables left for the West African nation, as she talked up the team’s preparations, her new role and leadership duties and the team’s chances in Cote d’Ivoire.
“Our preparations were tense,” she said.
“We had very little time and a lot of ground to cover. The coaching staff was under a lot of pressure to try select a team and we had an overwhelming number of girls and ladies that pitch up for the trials.
“All these factors were crammed into roughly a month as we had to come up with a team, play a few preparation games and then work on a game plan.
“It has been quite tense with very few rest days,” she said.
The second-tier continental tournament is the first step towards the road to the 2025 Rugby Women’s World Cup, as promotion to the main group will see the Lady Sables grouped amongst Africa’s top guns and given the chance to fight for a ticket to the global showcase.
Given the youth and inexperience within the team, Muchenje and her vice captains Dewa and Munodaani have their work cut out for them.
The skipper has opted for a more reserved approach.
“This is not new to me,” she said.
“I play for Zimbru Titans and that team is pretty much made up of Under-20 players.
“While we will welcome instant promotion once in Cote d’Ivoire, the coach (Sibanda) is thinking something like five years ahead and so giving these young players game time and exposure will be the main priority.
“My role, as captain, is simply to stabilise the ship and push it in the direction that our coach wants to go,” she said.
“I don’t think anyone can ever say that they handle pressure well,” she said.
“The trick is to take it one day and one game at a time, and hope for the best.
“My vice captains (Dewa and Munodaani) have also been very helpful when it comes to leading the team.
“We have held group talks and one-on-one sessions with the players, and it’s safe to say that everyone is on the same page,” she said.
Online Reporter