The Zimbabwe Under-20 Rugby Committee has engaged the services of Nico de Villiers, a top South African strength and conditioning coach and scrummaging expert, as the team intensifies its preparations for the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Salt Lake City, Utah in the USA in June.
De Villiers, who is also the Stellenbosch Rugby Academy conditioning coach, joins the Young Sables camp which resumes on Sunday ahead of the team’s tour of South Africa next week.
The Young Sables will leave for Mpumalanga in South Africa next week for two matches against the Pumas’ Under 23 team at Middleburg High School at the Puma Stadium in Witbank on April 7 and 10 respectively.
The committee chairman Aaron Jani, who confirmed De Villiers’ appointment, said the South African’s input would be a major boost for the team.
“We have engaged the services of Nico de Villiers, who is coming in as the team’s strength and conditioning coach and scrummaging expert. He has an Honours degree in High Performance and also a Masters in Sports Science both from Stellenbosch University and Level Two IRB educator and coaching certificates.
“He will be working together with the coaches Brighton Chivandire and Godwin Murambiwa when the team resumes camp. He will also accompany the team during the matches in South Africa where he will be assessing the fitness levels of the squad.
“He will also work with the forwards on the latest scrummaging techniques and also work together with the other coaches in selecting the final squad for the tournament,” said Jani.
The national Under-20 team was drawn in Pool B alongside familiar opponents Japan, Georgia and Canada while Pool A hosts USA will draw swords with Tonga, Chile and Russia.
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Zimbabwe Under-20 Squad P Bryant, M Bryce Rogers, T Chieza, T Chigumbura, S Chirara, T Chowe, D Coetzee, J Coles, D Diza, J Forrester, S Hunduza, F Jijita, S Joubert, A Kamkwindo, T Kavhengha, M Lawson, S Linfield, G Logan, S Lupuwana, K Makuvire, M Mandiona, M McIntosh, G Meikle, R Morkel, H Mudarike, M Muhambi, D Mupfurutsa, V Mushoriwa, Ian Muza, T Ndaba, T Ndudzo, M Nel, D Rorke, R Sargeant, W Seremani, D Sibanda, M Sinclair, J Smallbones, L Tamwera, T Toriro, T Tsomondo, A van Heerden, C van Rensburg, D Zimbudzana, F Zimoto, J Zulu
