adminwhen Sithembilenkosini “Themba” Sibanda was re-elected as the ZRU president, you came up with the issue of each of the various national teams being branded.
You meant that each team was to have its own fund-raising committee that would be in charge of the day-to-day running of the game.
Effectively, this removed any responsibility from the Union for any of the teams as the committees were also responsible for appointing whoever they felt could coach the side without the approval of the Union.
This makes me feel that rugby is not going anywhere basically because with “branding” the ZRU has seen it as a way of washing their hands off rugby.
Now that there are fund-raising committees that ensure CAR tournaments are played, the Victoria Cup is played, it has become difficult for ZRU to live without them.
However, because the committees sustain themselves, sooner or later they will tell the ZRU to go to hell.
Some time this year, the women’s committee appointed a physiotherapist who was not qualified on the technical aspect of the game to the post of technical director.
The ZRU could not act against this saying it was the committee’s responsibility of appointing coaches.
The results in the tournaments they took part in showed as they failed dismally.
So how does rugby develop with non qualified people in such posts?
Who supervises Sables’ coach Brendon Dawson when chairman Dumi Moyo, manager Noddy Kanyangarara, you Grant, and the Union president Sibanda aren’t qualified to do so?
These are the basics that are lacking and drawing back the sport.
Agreed, most of the rugby administrators are “volunteers” but everyone brings out the volunteer card when put in the corner or asked to be responsible for his duties.
This is the same reason that the previous extra-ordinary meeting failed to take place where the hot issue of the constitution was supposed be discussed.
Most of the board members failed to turn up and no quorum was reached.
As the general manager, it is important that the Union office be run like a public office not a private or personal organisation, giving out information (not only to the rugby fraternity but the public as well).
Of course we all have other or personal commitments but it would surely be good for the game if you – as the full-time general manager of the Union – are able to concentrate sorely on rugby as you are the top employee.
Over the year it has looked like you have too much on your plate since you run Old Georgians, run your own strength and conditioning business and also run the Sevens’ academy.
Rugby needs a general manager who runs that Union full-time to generate money (and not depend on donors), speak with the stakeholders, engage the SRC, Ministry of Sport, the government and make sure the administrators and development officers do their job perfectly.
How many boobs have been made by the National Rugby League this season and we make excuses because we say at least there is rugby.
Unqualified people who want to get into important positions within rugby pull the passion tag.
I remember when Mark Donato was the general manager before he got ambitious and became Sables coach, he worked hard to make sure that the ZRU generated enough funds to carry them throughout the year as he used to raise his own salary through commissions.
Credit has to be given where it is due because with the help of some teams in the league, you managed to bring Delta Beverages back to the game as sponsors after a decade was spent without a sponsor.
Well done Grant.
Of late there has been a lot of noise in Zimbabwe Rugby that the Sables WILL qualify for the next World Cup.
Well, realistically the current Sables are nowhere near qualifying for the World Cup.
What they need is a gradual improvement going forward but the administrative structure doesn’t support this.
What they need is technical assistance, getting someone to assist the coaches or send the coaches on attachment.
There is no way Zimbabwe can run away from modern trends and new ideas but these cost money – something that the ZRU does not have.
It is an open secret that the ZRU is in debt and that’s why the IRB grant to Zimbabwe of at least 70 000 British pounds seems insignificant.
Ideally that money comes in as a Development Grant and the sport sadly doesn’t start with the Sables but with from the grassroots level.
The grant is given after considering the number of players and clubs in a country and we are lucky ours wasn’t cut.
So you aren’t talking about a good future but bad one because at some stage in life, we have to pay for bad decisions from our past.
It hurts me to say that the ZRU has failed to technically equip themselves over the last five or six years.
Does the Sables team manager Kanyangarara hand each of the Sables players a code of conduct on how the players are expected to behave in camp and during the games?
There is a certain basic etiquette required in rugby, but that is an entirely different story to be dealt with another day.
I hope these matters will be taken seriously.
Regards,
Paul Munyuki
Rugby Writer
Online Reporter