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Don Makanyanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
The most explosive scandal in Zimbabwean rugby history has erupted and the fire is squarely at the feet of Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) president Losson Mtongwiza.
A leaked audio of Mtongwiza viciously dressing down the Lady Sables, the Zimbabwe national women’s rugby team, has blown the lid off what seems to be a festering culture of abuse, arrogance and contempt at the heart of the ZRU.
The recording, now spreading like wildfire on social media, captures Mtongwiza telling the unpaid players to stop expecting match fees, insisting they’re not owed anything before threatening a life ban for anyone who dared speak out.
“If you are here to be paid, don’t come again! We’re not here to pay people . . . If we don’t have money, we don’t owe you anything!” he fumed.
The Lady Sables had just returned from a difficult tour in Côte d’Ivoire for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup qualifiers, where they battled poor conditions with little to no support. But instead of a warm welcome or promised allowances, they were met with a tirade.
“We will only give you your money when the kit is returned. No kit, no money,” Mtongwiza added, in a tone critics have described as “bullying and disgraceful.”
Even more chilling was the threat that followed.
“If you post anything, write to your friends or go to social media . . . we will ban you for life. Not for a year. Not two months, LIFE!”
Sources close to the team said several players left the meeting in tears.
The fallout has been immediate and seismic. The Zimbabwe Rugby Commission of Inquiry has formally demanded the immediate suspension of Mtongwiza and ZRU Women’s chairperson Regina Mwanandiwa, accusing both of “systemic abuse” and enabling a toxic, patriarchal culture within the union.
“This is not an isolated case,” reads the petition now circulating under the campaign “Stand with the Lady Sables: End Abuse and Demand Accountability in Zimbabwe Rugby.”
“It is a reflection of a broken culture that has failed to protect its women athletes.”
The petition, already amassing signatures from players, coaches, parents, and fans, calls for: An independent Commission of Inquiry, A roadmap for systemic reform in ZRU structures and Full protection and support for women rugby players.
In a hurried press statement, Mtongwiza tried to cool temperatures, insisting the union was “committed to the girl child.”
“The Lady Sables continue to inspire us. We are committed to doing better by them,” he claimed.
But for many, the damage is done.
“You don’t get to threaten us, deny us what we earned, and then claim you care,” one senior player told Zimpapers Sports Hub, asking not to be named for fear of reprisal. “He said we’re not owed money. Then why were we sent to represent Zimbabwe in the first place?”
This isn’t just a pay dispute. It’s a full-blown leadership crisis that’s fractured the already fragile trust between Zimbabwe’s rugby establishment and its athletes.
Online Reporter