Zimbabwe’s Rugby’s continued regression
Written by Benedict Chanakira
The South Africa Academy side was invincible at the tournament. Dispensing of everything before them with relative ease. Hosts Zimbabwe Cheetahs managed to qualify for the Hong Kong edition and the achievement was met with mixed reaction. The papers lauded the side mistakenly as having qualified for Rio 2016 Olympics. Such is the level of misinformed and biased reactions that mars our game. Squad selection was decided a week before the Summer series concluded. Any new talent was seemingly ignored as the country lost out to the second strings of both Kenya and South Africa. Performances were unconvincing and we wonder how the side continues to call up old horses that have run their course. Wesley Mbanje?? Gardner Nechironga?? Fortune Chipendo?? Legends in their time but the time has come for the nation to rebuild. The Olympics are around the corner and unlike our cricket side, we don’t need more embarrassment. Rugby hit an all new low in 2014 with all national teams bar Bryan Rademeyer’s u13 having an impressive year. Even for the optimistic rugby fan the future looks bleak.
The recently held CAR 7’s tournament got some widespread praise and criticism. A journalist who has been to several tournaments was put off as he was describing some of the situations he encountered, “Hosting this tournament brought to the fore how Zimbabwe as a nation is still far from staging a continental sporting event with exceptional level of professionalism. Right from the build-up to the
tournament things were chaotic with the media and the public starved of critical information by the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) which led to a low turnout despite gate entry fees charged at $2 per head. The Cheetahs final squad was only released to the media on the eve of the event yet our counterparts, the South African Sevens Academy and Kenya, who brought their second string side Shujaa, announcing their travelling party earlier in the week. ZRU had also organised a pre- tournament press conference on Friday, a day before the tournament started. This presser was another shambolically coordinated event that brought the ZRU’s shortcomings to surface. Apart from starting almost an hour after the advertised 2pm time, the 12 teams’ captains were seated in an unorderly manner which made it difficult for the media to get sounds bites.”
Credit to the hosts for a safe and successful event. The talent from the minnow nations has lots to be desired of African rugby, as they have grown in bounds with Namibia, Uganda and surprise semi-finalists Tunisia impressing the most. With Zimbabwe being the most experienced side at the event they failed to show it. Close matches against minnows Nigeria, Namibia and Uganda displayed how fellow African nations are catching on, as we continue to regress.
A shot at core status will be the making or further destruction of Zimbabwe rugby 7 ‘s. Having failed last year against minnows Italy another window of opportunity beckons. Success in patches never seems to do justice to the ongoing plots, racism, unorganization and chaos that is within the Union. The situation seems to be worsening while the current Sables coaches remain in their roles having failed in the last two World Cup quests. Is there a way back from the wilderness for Zimbabwe? Liam Middleton the last Director of Rugby was the scapegoat in the failed World Cup and Sevens campaigns. Now we await who will be the next to get the hero status or scapegoat tag. Zimbabwe sport has continued to get the ugly and deserved negative publicity. We await a change. We await a step in the right direction. Will the attainment of core status be the first of many highlights in a country laden with talent but lacking in brains to nurture it!
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