adminSports Correspondent
MUTARE Sports Club have signed up to join the Harare Rugby League, Post Sport has learnt. Zimbabwe Rugby Union Manicaland chairman, Richard Chiwandire, on Tuesday confirmed this following an ultimatum due last Friday for the teams to sign up. In an email correspondence to ZRU Manicaland secretary, Mackenzie Munetsi last week Monday, ZRU general manager, Sifiso Made, gave MSC an ultimatum till last Friday to decide their participation in the Harare League.
Chiwandire, however, said the Manicaland board would write a letter on behalf of the club to have more matches played in Mutare rather than the proposed national rugby league format by ZRU.
“We signed up to be part of the Harare League, but we are in the process of writing a letter on behalf of MSC as the provincial ZRU board.
“This letter will try negotiating for more home matches for the team because clearly it is not fair for MSC to look for travelling resources while others have the comfort of playing at home.
“At least out of seven teams, three should travel to Mutare and at least have two league tournaments in Mutare where all the teams will play,” said Chiwandire.
The 15s national rugby league is expected to kick-off at the end of March after the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, which marks the end of the Sevens rugby season.
According to director of rugby, Brighton Chivandire, all the Super-Eight league clubs said they could not travel outside their respective regions without transport funding.
This as a result led to a proposal of a separate seven-team league for the Northern and Southern regions.
League matches will be played at the same venue in the separate regions to cut costs.
In Harare, the traditional clubs, Harare Sports Club, Old Hararians and Old Georgians, together with their second-team sides will make up the core league, while in Bulawayo, Busters, Old Miltonians and Panthers along with their B-sides will constitute the core-six.
The seventh team in both leagues will be a select team from the lower teams geographically close to either region that can combine forces.
Online Reporter