Murambiwa quits Young Sables

Chivandire heads the technical team.
Early this year Murambiwa indicated he had no interest in coaching the Sables before he quit from schools rugby powerhouse Prince Edward last month.
And yesterday, Murambiwa revealed to The Herald that he was no longer interested in the job opting to give “fresh minds and fresh ideas a chance.”
“There are a number of issues that, of course, I took into consideration before coming up with the decision to resign from my post as the Under-20 assistant coach.
“I had to look at where the game is coming from and where it is going. I have been involved in national rugby coaching for a long time and I think it’s that time where fresh minds and fresh ideas get a chance,” said Murambiwa.
Murambiwa’s first role in charge of a national side was in 1999 when he was appointed Zimbabwe Under-21 coach, a post he held until 2001 when he was promoted to become Sables coach before throwing in the towel in 2003.
The following year he was roped into the Under-18 technical set-up where he served for two years before he took over from Reg Querl in 2006 and went on to win the Under-18 African Championships.
Murambiwa bounced back into the Young Sables set-up two years later and served as the assistant coach with his last assignment being the Junior World Rugby Trophy tournament in the United States almost three months ago.
But things did not go as Murambiwa would have hoped for in this campaign as the Young Sables narrowly lost their first game against Japan, with some players failing drug tests at the tournament.
“I took consideration of that as well because my entire career as a coach had never had any controversial aspects, it was painful and a shame for the whole of Zimbabwe that these players were caught on the wrong side of the law.
“I wanted to resign when we were in the United States, but I felt that that was not the right platform to do so because I also had to take into consideration the morale of the boys, the committee, the ZRU and the technical team.
“I have done a lot of soul-searching and the (ZRU) president (John Falkenburg) knows my feelings. I spoke with the Under-19 franchise committee and expressed my feelings about it
“I have always prided myself even when I was coaching at PE not to be controversial and I am glad my wife has been supportive, but, of course, my son looks at it the other way round.
“Though obviously this job was a volunteer task, he feels he is not going to get material benefit because of the presents I would bring him from such tours as the JWRT. He is only 14 years old so we can understand. And at the end of the day there comes a time when I need to be more responsible with my family and work to improve their (family) livelihoods and I do not have any regrets over my decision to leave Under-19s,” said the former Sables coach.
Having been in the coaching set-up for 14 seasons at national level, the former ZRU boss feels that he has seen it all.
“Effectively I am still the Under-18 coach and I would like to get back to the schools’ structure but with a different challenge and I am talking to a number of schools at the moment. I am not looking beyond these schools that I am currently engaged in negotiations with, but if the year ends without any offer then I might as well call it quits.
“But I will always help where I am needed because this game is dynamic and no one knows everything,” he said.