Young Sables camp ends

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Under-20 four-day rugby camp in preparation of the Junior World Trophy tournament concludes this morning at St George’s College with coach Brandon Brider happy with the way his charges acquitted themselves to his training regime.

The camp was largely targeted at locally based players and a few other foreign-based players mostly from South Africa who were in the country over the festive holidays.

Zimbabwe are set to take part in the Junior World Trophy for the first time in four years when they host the annual competition in April where seven other countries including Namibia, Spain, Samoa, Uruguay, Hong Kong and Fiji will be featuring. And Brider says he is content with the numbers that turned up for this week’s camp that started on Wednesday, adding that the Young Sables will get into full camp in two months time.

“This was just an off-season training, it was nothing hectic as it was just meant to see how the boys are especially those that were available. The numbers have been relatively good especially in relation to the fact that some of the players were away with their families and others were running around with their paperwork (for foreign visas, permits and scholarships).

“There has been a number of other players who felt that they were good enough to make it for the squad, we welcomed them and on daily basis we had about 23-25 players,” said Brider.

This is the second time that the locally based players have gone through their paces under the guidance of Brider, having done so towards the end of 2016 but the former Young Sables fly-half on Friday indicated that a full camp has been set for March before the final camp in April.

But it is in March that the Young Sables are expected to hit full throttle in preparation of the global competition.

“From here on we will have the local players undergoing a conditioning programme similar to that of the Cheetahs and the Sables where they will train three times per week in a high performance environment.

“We will then have a full team camp in March, then we will have our final camp in April but on Friday morning we will conclude our training,” said the former Under-18 assistant coach.

Zimbabwe Under-20 training squad

Forwards: Connor Pritchard (Falcon College), Cole Bond (St John’s College), Aiden Burnett (St John’s College), Tanaka Chikwezvero (Maritzburg, SA), Tinashe Gonese (SA), Ronald Jiri (Dale College), Muchineripi Mangenje (Prince Edward), Justin Mendelsohn (Sharks), Rodrick Mubaiwa (UK), Tinotenda Musasanura (CBC), Kudakwashe Ndoro (Prince Edward), Martin Shioma (Limpopo Blue Bulls), Panashe Sora (Prince Edward), B. Muntanga (Falcon), S. Bhasera (UJ), J. Makoni (PE), L. Kenny (SGC), S. Magwenzi (Churchill), Ndaba (PE), T. Bwerinofa (Kyle), T. Zhoya (UJ), C. Butler (Falcon), D.Nyamugama (Freestate), L. Ngwenya (USA), T. Muchena (SGC), K. Chisango (SGC), T. Mangwana (Aus).

Backs: Russell Dinha (Prince Edward), Tadiwa Gochera (St Benedict’s College), Shingirai Katsvere (Prince Edward), Mudiwa Manhombo (St Benedict’s College), Tatenda Matoramusha (Prince Edward), Joshua Gando (Lomagundi), Ernest Mudzengerere (Prince Edward), Tawanda Ngosi (Durban), Matthew Ushewokunze (Falcon College), Ngoni Zinyama (UK), C. Nyakudya (Falcon), R. Elliot (Durban), M. Muswaburi (Nottingham Academy), K. Kazembe (WPI), M. Musvaiburi (UK), G. Mavara (Dale), Maupah (Goldridge), Phiri (Falcon), R. Chionyere (Churchill), F. Murinye (SGC), T. Mapfumo (Kyle), K. Munangi (Maritzburg), D. McRoberts (UK), T. Vheriwa (PH), A. Bruce (SGC), T. Moses (PE), T. Gamanya (Kyle).