adminPaul Munyuki Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Rugby Union director Liam Middleton has been issued with a strong warning following last week’s utterances where he claimed to have been appointed as the new Cheetahs coach.
Following last week’s press conference ahead of the Zimbabwe International Sevens rugby tournament, Middleton — in the presence of media and marketing consultant David Crouch — told journalists that he was now the Cheetahs coach.
Middleton had been in charge of some of the Cheetahs players in Harare, while coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba who is based in Bulawayo and some of the foreign and Bulawayo-based players were yet to come together
A clearly disappointed ZRU president and former Sables assistant coach John Falkenberg yesterday denied that Middleton had been appointed Cheetahs coach despite Nyamutsamba having been relegated to watching the international tourney from the terraces.
Middleton claimed that he was now the head coach and Crouch who was directing proceedings during the pre-tournament made no effort what-so-ever to correct Middleton on the position he had given himself.
As a result, Nyamutsamba withdrew his services from the Cheetahs during the camp as he was reduced to a mere spectator as he could be seen hovering in the terraces.
“To be honest I was not aware of anything like that, there was never such a meeting and I don’t know anything about that but (ZRU vice-president) Nyararai (Sibanda) is dealing with the matter,” said Falkenberg.
This is not the first time that Nyamutsamba and Middleton have clashed as this was a repeat of last year’s events that were followed by the Port Elizabeth leg of the World Sevens Series where Nyamutsamba refused to travel with the Cheetahs as the former had imposed himself.
Last year, the ZRU indicated they were looking for a director of rugby and Middleton was said to have been the successful candidate with clearly stated roles but it seems the former Cheetahs coach has diverted from his duties.
The ZRU president, his two deputies — Sibanda and Colleen de Jong — and Cheetahs chairman Donald Mangenje were involved in a meeting during the international tournament where Nyamutsamba sought clarification on Middleton’s role with the Bulawayo businessman believed to have indicated that he would not want to remain on the job if Middleton “continued to meddle’’.
“My feeling is that Liam is too involved, he has made his intentions that he still wants to coach so in that situation, it’s difficult for me to work with him. I have asked ZRU to clarify on his role going forward and if I am not satisfied, I will rather quit,’’ Nyamutsamba told the media.
While the director of rugby’s position is more administrative, it takes into consideration (but not limited to) leading, motivating the management team, which will include the head coach and assistant coaches.
It, however, does not include coaching the teams.
There has been an uproar since Middleton was engaged as ZRU technical director last year as he has been accused of reducing coaches to water boys instead of helping them carry out their duties.
Middleton has been in charge of both the Cheetahs and flagship rugby side the Sables — who he coached during last year’s tri-nations tournament in Namibia while the coaching duo of Brandon Dawson and Cyprian Mandenge were reduced to less active roles.
Meanwhile, the ZRU is this week expected to appoint a board that will be responsible for interviewing and making recommendations on the next Sables manager following Losson Mtongwiza’s resignation last month.
Mtongwiza resigned as the Sables manager alleging institutional racism and the ZRU went on to advertise the job.
“We got four applications and the next step now is for us to appoint a panel that will be responsible for interviewing and making recommendations on who amongst the applicants they think should be the next Sables manager.
“We will sit as a board and by mid-week, I believe, we should have the panel,” said de Jong.
The panel is expected to be made up of medical professionals, sports administrators and legal advisers.
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