ZRU seek sponsorship

Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Rugby Union is frantically working on securing sponsorship that will see the establishment of inter-provincial championships to be used to identify players for the national team. The Sables will from June 28 to July 5 participate in the Confederation of Africa Rugby final qualifiers for the IRB World Cup set for England next year.

Zimbabwe’s national 15s side will play three matches against Namibia, Madagascar and Kenya. The Group 1A winners will clinch a direct ticket to England with the runners-up getting a second chance to qualify via a play-off with a European nation.

In a telephone interview from Harare yesterday, ZRU general manager Sifiso Made said they are in talks with a number of companies so that they can bankroll their inter-provincial competitions.

“Having inter-provincial tournaments will give the Sables technical team an opportunity to identify the best players we have in the country. The domestic season starts late and to make sure that we have the best talent at a go, it is through competitions like inter-provincial championships.

“For us to make sure that we have successful preparations for the World Cup qualifiers in Madagascar, we need to have financial resources to fund such competitions. As it is we are in talks with the corporate world and it is our hopes that we clinch a deal to make sure that our preparations are in order,” Made said.

As a contingency measure, the ZRU boss said they plan to play South Africa’s provincial sides so that they blend their squad.
Namibia is ranked 22nd in the world with the Sables sitting at 30 while Kenya is on position 34.

Madagascar is ranked 36th.
Zimbabwe’s foreign-based players that have been identified for the World Cup qualifiers include Nick Winwood (Blackheath, England), Martin Wolfenden (Cambridge, England), Royal Mwale (Ballito Dolphins, SA), Michael Passaportis (Valence, France), Guy Cronje (Lions, SA) Kingsley Lang (Jersey, England), Andrew Rose (Boroughmuir, Scotland), Hilton Mudariki (Amersham & Chiltern, England) and Sean Moan (Blackheath, England).