THE Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) has set its sights on fielding an additional national select junior side in the annual South African Rugby Union (Saru) Academy Week from next year, as part of the governing body’s efforts to broaden the country’s player base.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
This year’s Academy Week is being held concurrently with the Under-18 Coca Cola Craven Week taking place at Kearsney College at Botha’s Hill, outside Durban, South Africa.
Zimbabwe’s main rivals, Namibia are currently the only international side featuring in the Academy Week, which features development sides from South African provincials unions.
Although it attracts less publicity than the Craven Week, the Academy Week is also a great opportunity to develop talent and ZRU president, Nyararai Sibanda sees the tournament, as a natural progression, which could help broaden the country’s player base.
“If you look at the programmes for the other provinces that are here, you’ll notice they have all have a side at the Academy Week, which we don’t,” Sibanda said.
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“We have just had to apply . . . our application is going to be considered after the tournament, but it’s important that we get that slot. We need to put in a side because we want to ensure that we increase our player base, so that we have a bigger pool of players from which to select and ensure more participation,” he said.
Currently, Zimbabwe fields four national junior teams in the South Africa Rugby Union Youth Weeks Tournaments — the Under-13 Coca Cola Craven Week, the Grant Khomo Week for the Under-16 sides, the Under-18 Coca Cola Craven Week and the U18 Girls Youth Week.
All teams are sponsored by Old Mutual Zimbabwe as part of their broad sponsorship of local schools rugby, covering development of teams in disadvantaged communities, tag rugby as well as provincial and national select sides.
Sibanda, who is also attending the Under-18 Coca Cola Craven Week, revealed that he had been in discussions with three South African provincial unions with the view of persuading them to send teams to Zimbabwe.
“I have invited South African provincial unions to motivate their schools, universities, army and police sides to tour. We are targeting three main provinces at the moment, which are the host province here, KwaZulu Natal (Sharks), Western Province (Stormers) and Free State (Cheetahs) and they have said it’s a step in the right direction and they will sell the idea back to their provinces.”
Early this year, South African Super Rugby franchises the Bulls and the Cheetahs played a high profile pre-season encounter in Harare, while the Pumas played a pre-season encounter against a national select side.
Both tours were organised by a local sports managent company Kyros Sport with the support of ZRU.