Tabulawa hails post Independence rugby

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S independence enabled black athletes to break into some sport disciplines which were a preserve of the minority whites.

Most black Zimbabweans played football while sporting disciplines such as rugby and cricket were a preserve of the whites.

Independence brought about change which saw youngsters from the western suburbs playing rugby and cricket.

A number of black stars emerged in rugby after independence and went on to make a mark in the game and some even went on to play internationally.

Ex-Highlanders rugby player Thulani Tabulawa, who also headed the Bulawayo Metropolitan Rugby Football Board (BMRFB), said independence brought a level playing field for black Zimbabweans who are now allowed to participate in any sport.

“I believe attaining independence in 1980 removed barriers to former elitist schools and sports disciplines.

The recruitment of expatriate teachers into our education system in 1981 led to the introduction of rugby into former Group B schools. Teachers like Ross Trevaskis (Luveve High School), Ross (Njube High), Hugh Henstridge (Msiteli) were keen in rugby.

These four schools formed a league in 1981,” Tabulawa said.

He recalled that in 1982, Mpopoma High School, coached by a McIntrye, Procter, Macdonald Smith and Ronaldson lost in the final of the inaugural Lobengula tournament to Founders.

In 1984, a Western suburbs schools select participated in the David Whitehead Schools tournament in Harare.

In 1985, Lou Corbi inspired a Coca-Cola sponsored mini-rugby coaching scheme was launched and spread rugby in Bulawayo’s Western suburbs focusing on primary schools.

“I was one of the pioneer coaches with the likes of Christopher Nyoni, Shadreck Sibanda, Lameck Kasuka (late), Clever Chipenzi (late), Ngoni Chico Nyoni (late) and Shepherd Mkorera (late). All these school coaches were unemployed school leavers and playing for Bulawayo Rhinos, a black club established in 1981,” said Tabulawa.

In 1986, Coca-Cola sponsored another primary schools tournament with Mafakela Primary beating Mpumelelo Primary in the final of a 10-school tournament.

The Coca-Cola tournament later changed to Lou Corbi Africa Sales Tournament.

Colin Osbourne, the then national coaching director, trained coaches, with the current national rugby team coach Brendon Dawson as the programme co-ordinator for Bulawayo before the late Francis Muhomba took over.

Bulawayo City Council also contributed to the development of rugby in the western suburbs by donating a fenced rugby field in Lobengula in 1982. The rugby field is near Nkanyezi Primary School.

The field was taken over by football teams which could not resist the well-trimmed grass.

Tabulawa said there was fierce competition between the schools and coaches, making the game more interesting.

He revealed that coaches travelled to schools from one suburb to the other on foot, wearing red mini-rugby tracksuits provided by sponsors.

“What was exciting was to see youngsters tackling each other wholeheartedly on dusty school soccer pitches disregarding the fact that they could get hurt. Passion for the sport and the rivalry kept the game alive in the western suburbs every year.”

In 1988, Master Masiku, the former Highlanders and Railstars football player, then 12 years old, was the first black player from the western suburbs schools to be selected for the Zimbabwe Under-12 rugby team for a game against Kenya Under-12.

Ngoni Chico Nyoni made it into the Zimbabwe Under-21s match versus Zimbabwe Schools during the Hartsfield 50th anniversary celebrations.

“I was the first black player from the western suburbs who made it into the Goshawks side against the Matabeleland Select during the same anniversary. Julius Chiramba and Daniel Mbowa were now regular faces in the Matabeleland Senior B sides with Ndaba Ndlovu making the grade in the Matabeleland Under-21s in 1988.”

Chris Nyoni, Lameck Kasuka, Clever Chipenzi, Ngoni Nyoni and Tabulawa were regulars on the bench for the Under-21s and later others became regulars in the Senior Matabeleland A and B sides.

Arnold Takawira (late), Orga Mataba, Arthur Mathe, Silethokuhle Slater Ndlovu, Taurai Gusha all made the grade for the Zimbabwe Sables.