Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WORLD RUGBY representative Steph Nel expressed satisfaction with the early talks he has conducted with the Zimbabwe Rugby Union’s Interim Management Committee as the road to the 2027 Rugby World Cup hits another milestone.
Speaking on the sidelines of a rugby stakeholders meeting held in the capital yesterday, the World Rugby High-Performance consultant broke down the much-talked-about £325,000 grant money that will be coming to the union.
“This is the high-performance agreement; the main aim of which is to prepare the Sables for Rugby World Cup 227,” said Nel.
“And we have very clear directives, eight strategic pillars that the union presented to us in addition to financial prudence and then accountability.
“Our areas of investment would be programme leadership, coaching, daily training environment, sports science and sports medicine, competitions and campaigns and administration,” he said.
Nel has since been appointed as an overseer, whose main duties will be to make sure that the union is structured for performance, both on and off the field.
“I think the first thing is you look at the talent that is available across the world.
“And then you look at do I have the finances to bring that talent in?
“And do I have the finances to continue to develop from top to bottom. There is your tier one players that are all over the world, I will have to help bring them in.
“Then bottom up, what do we do with our young Zimbabweans because this country has produced a of a lot of rugby players. The problem has never been producing rugby players, it has been retaining rugby players.
“So retention is the biggest thing that we need to address,” he said.
Nel detailed on the stringent measures and requirements that come with the £325,000 grant money from World Rugby.
The grant shall be doled out quarterly and is for the duration of January 1- December 31, 2026.
According to his presentation, the grant rests upon three main pillars and these are strategic ambition, financial integrity and unwavering accountability.
Strategic ambition is detailed in the on-field and off-field plan to build a winning team, which entails developing and delivering a comprehensive plan defining player depth charts, coaching staff, preparation schedule, and a clear tactical identity or “team rugby DNA.”
It also requires establishing a semi-professional “Sables franchise” to guarantee consistent, high-intensity competition for players and a mandatory full-time ‘professional window’ will be enforced before the Rugby World Cup.
The union will also be required to execute a targeted, aggressive strategy to recruit elite, Zimbabwe-eligible players from top-tier professional leagues for the RWC 2027 campaign, while simultaneously developing local talent for 2031 and beyond.
