The return of Losson Mtongwiza

manager.
Mtongwiza replaces Noddy Kanyangarara who is the only one whose contract with the flagship team was not renewed after coach Brendan Dawson and assistant Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge were retained.
Ironically Mtongwiza was the manager and left the reigns to his assistant Kanyangarara – at the beginning of 2010.
Yesterday the affable administrator came back to reclaim his previously held position.
Having resigned from the Sables as team manager, Mtongwiza bounced back yesterday with the aim of “taking the Sables out of their shell” and improving relations between the players and the ZRU.
“The Sables definitely did well over the last year but I still feel that we need to take them out of the shell they currently are in as they are not well known in their own homeland and there is need to put ourselves out there.
“There is great need to do a lot of things so that we gain public recognition, be a marketable brand and on the field of play I feel that we should be at least the second best team in Africa by the time we play the World Cup qualifiers.
“This appointment also provides me with the opportunity to implement some of the plans I had before and continue with those that had already been put in place.
I feel we need to be playing sides like Namibia and the Emerging Springboks of South Africa and that way we get the better out of our players.
“Exposure is the key to talent development and the more games we play the better we become and the higher we rise on the IRB World Rankings,” said Mtongwiza.
Mtongwiza believes that great relationships amongst the technical team, the ZRU and the players themselves is key if the Sables are to achieve their goal of making it for the 2015 World Cup in London.
Dawson has also set qualification for the global rugby showcase as his major target during his four year tenure as coach.
“There should be quality relations amongst the players, the technical team and the ZRU and having worked with Dawson before as I was his manager previously it would not be a problem for me to fit into the Sables structures.
“As soon as Dawson names his squad then I would have to start on building the relations with the players. The important thing as a manager is having direct and communication and an open relationship with the players.
“We need to have personal relationships with the players that way it would be easy to achieve our main goal because the welfare of the players is my main job . . . I am there for the players,” added Mtongwiza.
Mtongwiza has risen through the ranks from being a Zimbabwe Under-18 and Under-21 player, crossing the great divide from Old Hararians to bitter rivals Harare Sports Club and has a lot of experience in the administration side.
In 2001 he was a player/coach for Harare Sports Club before he became a player/manager at the same club the following year but he moved into administration in 2003 after he was elected chairman of Harare Province.
It was in 2004 that he held his highest position in rugby administration after he was elected Zimbabwe Rugby Union vice president to Bryn Williams.
He was involved with the Cheetahs where he was assistant manager to former ZRU president Bruce Hobson until 2010 and was also chairman of the Cheetahs fundraising committee for the Sevens World Cup Between 2008 and 2010 he worked as the Sables manager before resigning and moving to Pretoria, South Africa and it was at the beginning of this year that he was appointed Old Hararians rugby committee member before being recalled to the Sables.
Mtongwiza feels all this experience gives him an upper hand as he has worked with most of the players in both the Sables and Cheetahs set up and also at club level.
Some of the players that Mtongwiza worked with in both the Sables and Cheetahs sides include flanker Jacques Leitao, lock Fortunate Chipendu, centre Daniel Hondo utility Garder Nechironga, winger Tangai Nemadire, Gerald Sibanda and fullback/centre Cleopas Makotose.
“There are a lot of things to be done but I need to meet with the Sables committee before I can know what I am allowed to do and what we might not be able to do because it must tally with the plans the committee has for the year.
“But I am humbled by the fact that the ZRU and the Sables committee have expressed confidence in me and gave me the job.
At first I wanted to be just a committee member of the Sables but I am glad that I am back at the heart of the game.
“I also learnt a lot of things back then when I was manager like all human beings there is always room for improvement and I feel there are areas we can improve to make the Sables a better team.”
The Sables are expected to take part in two tournaments this year as they will travel to Tunisia for the Africa Cup tournament and will play two home games against Kenya and Uganda in the Victoria Cup Tri-Nations tournament where they are the defending champions.