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Petros Kausiyo
SINCE the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Harare Sports Club has been a hub where rugby and cricket enthusiasts have been converging for some interesting international assignments.
Cricket fans in particular turned Sports Club into a cauldron of red during the World Cup qualifiers in June last year as the Chevrons turned on some fine shows.
In between the Chevrons and the Lady Chevrons encounters the Zimbabwe Rugby Union have also successfully staged several internationals for the Sables, men’s and women’s sevens. Tomorrow, the domestic rugby family is expected to be back at Harare Sports Club where some of the country’s finest emerging talent will be seeking to start a journey to conquer Africa again.
The national Under-20 team will begin their Barthes Trophy title defence with a clash against Tunisia, which will be pre-ceded by Namibia’s showdown with Kenya.
Success for coach Shaun De Souza and his Junior Sables will see them punch a ticket to the Junior World Trophy in Scotland from July 2-17.
The opportunity to stage another international tournament has left ZRU chief executive Sifiso Made and his leadership an excited lot.
Made believes hosting the event also provides the ZRU with an opportunity to once again showcase the “hospitality that Zimbabweans are famed for’’.
“It is always a great honour for us as ZRU and Zimbabwe as a sporting nation to stage such an event,’’ Made said.
He paid tribute to the government through the Sports and Recreation Commission, local clubs, and their corporate partners for coming together to ensure the competition would be a success from an organisational point of view.
“A lot of teamwork and support from the SRC and government as a whole has been received. Clubs are always supportive and willing to host and the support from the corporate world has also been crucial and great.
“The positive reports by local media any time they have a chance to spread the gospel of sport about Zimbabwe and the conducive weather have helped make it possible to host the competition.
“The culture that we possess as Zimbabwean sporting associations of putting others first is evident of our true generosity and distinguishes us as a warm and welcoming people,’’ Made said.
The ZRU chief executive is also confident that the Junior Sables will not be short on the numbers from the terraces when they take to the field and he rallied rugby fans to back the youth team.
“I am sure the previous victories by our Under-20 team will also help lure more fans to the game as they love to sup-port a winning team.
“We are two-time champions and let’s make it three in a row so, for good measure let’s us all support the team and support the dream.’’
While Made and his team have been running around with the hosting logistics, De Souza and his charges have been hard at work knowing that as African champions, they will be the team to beat.
Newly-appointed senior national coach Piet Benade is expected to be at the tournament where he will also be keeping his eagle eye on players to include in his Sables outfit for their upcoming assignments.
Benade who has since replaced Brendon Dawson will get his first taste of the state of the Sables when Zimbabwe play Zambia in international friendly in Harare on May 4, which will form part of their preparations for the Africa Cup scheduled for Uganda in July.
But there is no doubting that the focus of attention will be Harare Sports Club from tomorrow until April 28, as the Junior Sables seek to claim an unprecedented three successive Barthes Trophy triumphs.
Online Reporter