Nkosilathi Sibanda
INKUNDLA yeNational Sports Stadium eHarare izasetshenziswa kumidlalo ye-rugby, kumncintiswano wamazwe, ozabe ungowakuqala ngemva kweminyaka edlula elitshumi.
Inhlanganiso yeZimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) ibike ukuba iqembu lelizwe, amaSables, lizamukela iNamibia mhlaka 24 Mfumfu kulinkundla. Amaqembu la ahlangana ngemva kokuba iZimbabwe ithole ilungelo lokudlala kumqhudelwano weRugby World Cup ka-2027.
INational Sports Stadium isetshenziswa kakhulu emidlalweni yenguqu. Kusukela yavulwa kutsha ngoMpandula lonyaka, ngemva komsebenzi omkhulu wokuyilungisa, isiphathe imidlalo yamaWarriors, amaMighty Warriors lamaYoung Warriors.
Umdlalo wamaSables leNamibia uzavula isahluko esitsha eqenjini lelizwe elijayele ukudlalela eHarare Sports Club laseHartsfield Rugby Grounds koBulawayo.
Umdlalo we-rugby wokucina uzadlalelwa eNational Sports Stadium njalo uzakuba ngumdlalo wokuzilolonga ngaphambi kwesizini, lapho amaqembu eSouth Africa iVodacom Bulls leToyota
Cheetahs ahlangana khona eminyakeni edlula elitshumi. I-ZRU isisebenza nzima ikhuthaza abalandeli ukuthi bagcwalise inkundla ngesikhathi amaSables esamukela iNamibia.
Obambe isikhundla somkhokheli wekhomithi ye-Interim Management ku-ZRU, uPaddy Zhanda
Jnr, uthe bayathokoza ngethuba lokuletha iqembu lamaSables kubalandeli enkundleni enkulu.
“Siyathokoza ngokuthola ithuba lokuletha amaSables ebantwini enkundleni yeNational Sports Stadium,” kutsho uZhanda kumbiko owethulwe kuliviki.
Uthe ugatsha lwe-Sports and Recreation Commission luvumile ukuthi umdlalo uqhubekele phambili njalo sekusele ukuhlolwa kwenkundla okokucina.
AmaSables azathola ithuba lokuzilolonga eNational Sports Stadium ukuze ajayele inkundla.
“Esikufisayo yikugcwalisa inkundla. Itikiti eliphansi lizabiza idola (US$) ukuze abantu abanengi benelise ukungena,” kutsho uZhanda.
AmaSables asanda ukubuthana, elungiselela umdlalo leNamibia lemidlalo yeWorld Rugby Nations Cup ezadlalwa ngoLwezi.
Umqeqetshi wamaSables uPiet Benade lethimu yakhe sebethule abadlali abazangena enkambeni yokuzilolonga, okugoqela ukubuya kukakaputeni uHilton Mudariki.
UMudariki ubengadlali ngenxa yokulimala umsipha ngesikhathi iZimbabwe inqotshwa yiMelika 31-15 ngoNtulikazi.
Umdlali lo uzancintisana loKeegan Joubert loWayne Kunaka esikhundleni somdlali odlulisela ibhola kubadlali abalandelayo (scrum-half).
Umdlali odlala esikhundleni se-fly-half osehlala e-United Kingdom, uDavid Hayes, laye ubizwe eqenjini njalo uzathola elinye ithuba lokuziveza kumaSables. Uzancintisana lo-Andrew Maringa loBrandon Mudzwiti.
Abadlali abane, uVuyani Dhlomo, Dion Khumalo, Trevor Gurwe loRyan Musumhi, bakhitshwe ekulungiseleleni iqembu leCheetahs ukuze bangene kumaSables.
Abadlali laba babeqakathekile ekuncedeni iCheetahs ukuthi inqobe i-Africa Cup okokuqala kusukela ngo-2018.
IZimbabwe ibifisa ukudlala imidlalo eminengi yokuzilolonga ngoMfumfu ukuze ilungiselele imidlalo kaLwezi. Amanye amaqembu abefisa ukudlala lawo yiGermany, Botswana, Zambia leChile.
Kodwa imidlalo kayisoze ibekhona ngenxa yokuswelakala kwemali lezinye imbangela.
