Zimbabwe’s Under-16 schools rugby team, which has been unstoppable at the ongoing Coca-Cola Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in South Africa, will be looking to end their campaign with an unbeaten run when they take on Namibia today.
The youngsters have hardly looked like a team making its debut appearance at the annual tourney after registering wins over Griquas Country Districts and Golden Lions XV.
The team is coached by former Zimbabwe international Doug Trivella. The Coca-Cola Under-16 Grant Khomo Week has attracted teams from the 14 South African Rugby Union (SARU) provinces, Country Districts and invitational teams while Namibia and Zimbabwe are represented by their national Under-16 teams. Zimbabwe got their campaign off to a good start after outscoring the Golden Lions XV by three tries to two on their way to a hard-fought 21-18 victory. The young side got their tries through props Stephen Courtney and Makanaka Bhasera and wing Tawanda Gabriel Nkosi while flyhalf Joshua Worsley chipped in with a penalty and a conversion. On the second day of the tournament, Zimbabwe came up against Griquas Country Districts who they dismissed 18-14 courtesy of unconverted tries from Sebastian Pretorius, Panashe Sora and Matthew Ushewokunze. Worsley also chipped in with the boot after slotting home a penalty. The perfomance of the Under-16 team in the tournament will be a positive development for the country’s junior rugby structures as it will form the backbone of next year’s Under-18 team. Meanwhile, the national schools Under-18 team will represent the country at the 2012 Coca-Cola Under-18 Craven Week which will take place from July 9 to 14 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Zimbabwe will play their first match against Border Country Districts next Tuesday. Zimbabwe U-18 Craven Week Squad 15 Russel Walder (Falcon College), 14 Ryan Hutchings (St John’s College), 13 Dale Gibbons (Falcon College), 12 Richard Watson (St John’s College), 11 Kudzai Zhou (Prince Edward School), 10 Rukudzo Gona (St John’s College), 9 Craig Bydawell (Falcon College), 8 Alva Senderayi (Falcon College), 7 Barend Moolman (Peterhouse School), 6 Leroy Sibanda (Falcon College), 5 Brandon Scheepers (Falcon College), 4 Ramba Chinyani (St John’s College), 3 Tapiwa Muringani (St John’s College), 2 Kingsley Reid (Falcon College), 1 Thabani Mujeni (St George’s College) Reserves: 16 Bart Zwart (St John’s College), 17 Nakai Mavimba (St John’s College), 18 Sebastian Roche (Hellenic Academy), 19 Nicholas Burnett (St John’s College), 20 Brendon Mandivenga (Peterhouse School), 21 Tarisai Musakanda (Prince Edward School), 22 Lance Chikodzi (St George’s College)
