Sables camp in trouble

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
A STORM is brewing in the Sables camp following a decision by the Zimbabwe Rugby Union to reduce the players’ match appearance fees for their World Cup qualifying campaign.
The players are also not happy about the union’s move to have them use public transport from their South African bases when they came for the training camp ahead of their trip to Madagascar.

Although they did not go on strike before their World Cup qualifiers against Kenya, Namibia and hosts Madagascar in Antananarivo, the problems which have been simmering seem to have come to a head as the Sables prepare for their play-off clash against Russia in Siberia.

It emerged that the cash-strapped ZRU reduced the players appearance fees from US$300 to US$150 and now US$100 per match and the move has not gone down well with the Sables.

But there are genuine fears now that the players might even boycott the trip to Russia if the union fails to secure funding and asks them to use their personal resources to travel to and from their bases.

The Herald Sport has it on good authority that those who flew back to their bases used their own funds to buy air tickets.

But this did not go down well with some players amid indications that they were mulling withdrawing their services from their trip to Russia.

The Sables are scheduled to leave Harare for Siberia on July 26, where they hope to hold a five-day training camp.

The players are also reportedly unhappy that the ZRU forced flanker Njabulo Ndlovu to travel by road on public transport from Harare to Johannesburg despite the player having sustained a hairline fracture on his ankle while on duty in Madagascar. The union only paid his airfares from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

“As players we do not feel that we are getting the respect we deserve and in any organisation it is difficult to achieve set goals when the workers, or as in our case the players, are not treated well,” the players said. “Njabulo suffered an injury in Madagascar but he went by bus to South Africa.

“Of course, the union paid for his flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town but don’t they think that it would have been noble to have him flown given the pain he was in and that is what we are standing up against.

“Before the tour to Madagascar our match appearance fees were slashed and all this is happening at the wrong time because this is the time we should be motivated. We all love Zimbabwe, we all love playing rugby, that is why these players travelled by bus and, above all, we all want to play at the World Cup but then it becomes a problem when the Zimbabwe Rugby Union cannot take good care of our fellow players.

“There is a lot of victimisation within rugby and this is the reason we cannot even be quoted in the media, we have to remain anonymous but we are not happy with the way the union is treating us.

“How can they (ZRU) call players into camp expecting them to travel by road, worse still by public transport. We all know how it is like at the borders and that is the same players the union expects to go onto the rugby pitch and perform as good as their opponents,” said the players.

Players like eighthman Lambert Groenewald, Mathew Mandioma, Guy Cronje, Lenience Tambwera, Ndlovu, Gardner Nechironga and Shayne Makombe ply their trade in South Africa and are an integral part of the Sables’ World Cup squad.

However, ZRU executive vice-president Colleen de Jong said the players had been made aware of the union’s plight.

“We had to do what we did and that was in line with the resources we had. If players have issues with us or the management they know the channels to follow.”