tawandamusarurwa
Tinashe Kusema
Deputy Sports Editor
THE Nedbank Rugby Challenge Cup will make its return in less than two weeks.
Rather than the five weeks of competition that characterised the tournament last year, it is set to adopt a festival format and will be held at one central venue — the Harare Sports Club — from March 17 to 19.
Eight teams are expected to take part in the festival, with a Nedbank development side and a High-Performance Centre team (Junior Sables) joining last year’s champions Old Georgians, losing finalists Old Hararians, Harare Sports Club, Pitbulls, Mutare Sports Club and Matabeleland Warriors.
Despite all the changes, most of which will be unpacked at tomorrow’s launch event in the capital, what has not changed, however, is the importance of the event.
For Sables coach, Brendan Dawson, it will be his last chance to have a look at some of the local-based players before he makes his final selection for the Goshawks’ Currie Cup First Division/Mzanzi Challenge Cup campaign at the end of the month.
Similarly, Zimbabwe Under-21 coach Shaun De Souza also hopes to use the tournament as final preparations for his team’s defence of the Barthes Trophy.
“We want to compete in that event and use it as our preparations for the Barthes Trophy. This Nedbank Challenge is very important for us now as it played a big role in our final selection and helped us pick out the men amongst the boys,” he said.
“The senior players are stronger opposition and should give us an idea of what arsenal we have at our disposal in the team.”
His team will compete using the name High-Performance Centre (HPC).
As defending champions, Zimbabwe head into the Barthes Trophy as the team to beat.
They began preparations in November and also had the opportunity to assess some of the foreign-based players. A strong 72-member squad was called into camp last month. It has, however, since been trimmed to 43.
“We have named the Nedbank Challenge squad and, basically, what we are looking at are combinations and guys that will fit into the structure and system we want to implement,” added De Souza.
“We hope to try out different combinations as we want to concentrate on our tight fives, see which combinations work in our loose trio and give our midfield combination, which we have already set, a good run.”
Although the team are missing a huge chunk of their foreign-based players, De Souza plans to use the next couple of weeks to determine which players will be available for the trip to Kenya next month.
Nedbank Challenge Squad:
Forwards
Happias Zhou, Tadiwa Chinwada, Nqobile Manyara, Tadiwanashe Marumisa, Gerry Zisengwe (OH) Gealan Jaricha, Bryan Chiang, Takunda Mudzingwa, Takudzwa Zvomuya, Tadiwa Mazanhi, Munashe Ndhlela, Tawananyasha Bwanya, Tanaka GondoMukandapi, Huntley Materson, Leo Mutendi, Muzuva Gutu, Allan Mawunga, Hagler Muchenji, Vincent Chimwendo, Tashinga Makiwa, Kelvin Kaseke, Godfrey Zvinavashe, Joseph Benning, Panashe Taderera, Kudakwashe Gotora
Backs
Panashe Zuze, Shadrick Mandaza, Emson Mhondiwa, Benoni Nhekairo, Simbarashe Kanyangarara, Callon Matsikira, Alex Nyamunda, Dion Khumalo, Tanaka Chinyanga, Kudakwashe Nyamushaya, Kelton Kaseke, Tadiwanashe Unganai, Edward Sigauke, Brendan Jameson, Taona Mapani, Panashe Mugorogodi, Mbekezeli Siziba
Online Reporter