admin
Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
THE Mwana Group International Rugby Festival, whose curtain came down at Harare’s Prince Edward High School on Saturday, has been described as a huge success.
The rugby meet saw top teams from Zimbabwe, international teams, and primary school tournaments for both boys and girls.
It marked a return of the popular event on the schools’ sporting calendar with Mwana taking over the baton from Cottco and Dairibord.
The tournament saw about 120 schools participating between April 28 and May 4 at Prince Edward School in Harare. These schools included both primary schools and high schools. The participants ranged from Under-13, 16, and 19 girls and boy’s teams.
Teams from Malawi, Zambia, and Botswana all took part in the fiesta.
Sikhumbuzo Muchenje, who was part of the festival’s secretariat, said the Mwana Group International Schools Rugby Festival sought to resuscitate the traditional schools’ rugby tournaments that have traditionally been held since 1986.
“The festival has gone through various evolutions with the name of the festival being changed to fit the various headline sponsors over the years.
“The names include the United Bottle Company Festival which was from 1986-1987, David Whitehead Rugby Festival between 1988 to 1997, Cottco Rugby Festival between 1998 to 2013, and The Dairibord Rugby Festival between 2014 to 2019.
“The tournament was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022 and faced some organisational challenges for the 2023 edition.
“Mwana Group therefore stepped in for the 2024 to 2028 editions. This was the first edition of the Mwana Group International Schools Rugby Festival.
“The tournament was a knock-out tournament with a trophy prize and medals for the winning team. For the Under 16 and 19 teams the tournament had a fixture format thus there won’t be an ultimate trophy to be won,” she said.
Online Reporter