INACTIVITY in the Zimbabwe National Rugby League will see four senior clubs from Bulawayo taking part in the first edition of the Matabeleland Rugby Football Board (MRFB) seniors Zimbo Shield tournament which starts at Hartsfield Rugby Grounds on Saturday.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
According to correspondence from MRFB vice-chairman Sean Robinson, the tournament, which will stretch from Saturday to July 11, is bankrolled by Keets Enterprises and will feature favourites Matabeleland Busters, Western Panthers, Old Miltonians and Western Bulldogs.
“The annual Zimbo Rugby Championships expands its footprint in Bulawayo with the Zimbo Shield in June and July at Hartsfield Rugby Ground. The senior shield will feature Matabeleland Busters, Western Panthers, Old Miltonians and Western Bulldogs.
Matabeleland Rugby Football Board has secured Keets Enterprises as a first-year sponsor for this senior rugby shield and includes individual awards, referees’ fees and medical cover,” Robinson said.
However, details of the sponsorship deal have not been revealed.
The competition, a 15s tournament, will be played in a league format with Busters kicking off their campaign against bitter city rivals Old Miltonians, while Panthers take on Bulldogs on Saturday.
A winning team will garner four points, one bonus point for scoring more than four tries, one bonus point for finishing with a score seven or less and two points for a draw.
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Panthers, who won the Zimbo Under-20 and Under-21 Cup titles earlier in February, might also be a force to reckon with in the competition.
Two top teams will play in the final to decide the winner of the Zimbo Shield on July 11 at Bulawayo’s home of rugby, Hartsfield.
Awards, to be merged with that of the Zimbo Under-20 and Under-21 Cup, will be held at Kudu Bar at the end of August just before the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup finals which are being hosted by England from September 18 to October 31.
Fixtures
Saturday: Matabeleland Busters v Old Miltonians, Western Panthers v Western Bulldogs
June 27: Matabeleland Busters v Western Panthers, Old Miltonians v Western Bulldogs
July 4: Old Miltonians v Western Panthers, Matabeleland Busters v Western Bulldogs
July 11: Final
