Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE rugby has been plunged into a governance crisis that now threatens to overshadow the Sables’ march to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) yesterday suspended the remaining members of the Zimbabwe Rugby union (ZRU) national executive board and committee, deepening a power struggle that has dragged on for months and raising alarm over the country’s preparations for the global showpiece.
The decision lands at a critical moment. Zimbabwe men’s team has already booked its ticket to Australia, a feat that was supposed to rally the nation behind rugby. Instead, the game is mired in boardroom turmoil. Incumbent ZRU president Losson Mtongwiza and women’s rugby chairperson Regina Mwanandiwa, were suspended in May, with their disciplinary hearings still unresolved. Tapfuma Parirenyatwa, appointed interim president to stabilise operations and who guided the Sables through qualification, later resigned, only to hint at a return after talks with Rugby Africa president, Herbert Mensah.
SRC officials say the suspensions were unavoidable.
“The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) wishes to advise the public and rugby stakeholders that the remaining members of the Zimbabwe Rugby union (ZRU) National Executive Board and the National Executive Committee have been suspended from all forms of rugby administration and activities in Zimbabwe, including but not limited to holding office under the Zimbabwe Rugby Union,” read their statement.
The commission explained that the suspension, which will remain in force until the next ZRU elections, was taken under section 30 of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act after the remaining board members ignored a “show cause” order issued on September 4. Eight of their colleagues had already resigned in response to that directive. “No representations were filed by the remaining members of the ZRU National Executive Board, hence the SRC invoked section 30 of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act,” the statement added.
The timing has alarmed many in the rugby fraternity. Every week lost to administrative wrangles is a week when the Sables should be planning camps, securing sponsorships, and scouting opponents for a first World Cup appearance in more than three decades. Instead, energy is being drained by leadership battles and legal wrangling.
Zimbabwean sport has walked this path before. In 2019, the International Cricket Council froze funding and banned Zimbabwe’s teams after the SRC removed the Zimbabwe Cricket board. Three years later, Fifa imposed a similar suspension on Zifa over Government interference, barring the national men’s, women’s and youth teams from continental and international competitions. Those bans left players idle, derailed development programmes and scared away sponsors. Rugby supporters fear that World Rugby could interpret the SRC’s latest move the same way. For now, the SRC insists the 2027 campaign is safe.
“The primary role of the SRC is to protect national interest in so far as sport in Zimbabwe is concerned,” said director general ,Eltah Nengomasha. “Regarding the Zimbabwe Rugby scenario, national interest means that Zimbabwe must participate in the 2027 Rugby World Cup and that will be safeguarded.”
But reassurance alone may not be enough. Rugby Africa and World Rugby will want detailed guarantees that the sport remains independent of Government control. Sponsorship contracts, insurance cover and even player selections can all be complicated if global authorities sense interference.
The players have so far stayed focused, but insiders admit that uncertainty seeps into preparations. Training schedules, friendly fixtures and funding depend on a clear chain of command. Without one, momentum can quickly fade. Coaches and team managers are also worried about lost time to arrange high-level friendlies and conditioning camps that are critical for a competitive World Cup showing.
The next few weeks will be decisive. The SRC has promised to “unpack the suspension and map a way forward” with a formal announcement to come. Rugby stakeholders will press for a swift roadmap that protects Zimbabwe’s World Cup status, restores transparent governance and reassures sponsors and players alike.
For a team that has finally found success on the field, the fear is that victory may be undermined off it. Unless rugby’s leaders and the SRC move quickly, the Sables’ World Cup dream could stall long before a ball is kicked in Australia.
