The Rise of The Women

IRB Africa General Manager Cliffie Booysen

has confirmed that Namibia, Kenya and

Uganda failed to fulfill their respective

fixtures and as a result, Cameroon will take

the third spot at the Finals. Best runners-up,

Madagascar, will fill the final slot. This means

that Zimbabwe will be ranked 2nd at the

tournament and will once again face off in the

semis against the 3rd ranked team,

Madagascar. Cameroon, who qualified by

default, will be pitted against tournament

hosts Morocco.

The Sables stand a good chance of playing in

the final and have every intention of winning

the tournament outright.

The recent National Rugby League Final

between Harare Sports Club and District

Dragons proved that the local players have

the physicality and heart to take to Morocco.

THE TACKLER

November Issue, 2010 VOLUME 3

Official ZRU Newsletter

Inside this issue:

Player Profile 2

Club Champions 2

Junior World Trophy 2

Recognising The Cheetahs 3

Coaches Corner 3

The ZRRS 4

Rugby World Cup 1991 4

Africa Cup Preparations

“ Zimbabwe aim to

win outright”

The second edition of the Zimbabwe

Women’s Sevens Rugby Tournament was an

absolute success on a variety of fronts. The

National Team affectionately known as ‘The

Pangolins’, won the Cup Final beating bitter

rivals Zambia. The perceptions of Women’s

Rugby in Zimbabwe were squashed, the

crowds were entertained, the rugby was of

a high standard, the 2016 Olympic drive and

World Cup qualification process is under

way and the growth of Women’s rugby in

Zimbabwe has clearly doubled in the space

of a year.

The efforts of the Women’s committee, the

coaching staff and the associated sponsors

(Banc ABC, Coca Cola and Lobels) must be

acknowledged and praised for these results.

The players were outstanding and showed

true National Grit in the final to score the

winning try with less than one minute to go.

Zambia were beaten 24-19 by Zimbabwe.

The performances of Marange and Kadye

throughout the tournament was pleasing

and clear to all that there is talent, skill and a

tactical appreciation for the game of rugby

by the Women.

The Development side (Zimbabwe B) lifted

the Bowl Final while visiting South African

powerhouse Tuks proved too strong for

Botswana as they lifted the Plate Trophy.

To the woefully uninformed, ‘Movember’ is a

movement that started in Australia over 6 years ago

(where else in the world, with the possible

exception of Germany, would such a thing start?).

The idea is to bring the moustache back during the

month of November for a worthy cause. Movember

is a charity ‘event’ that lasts for the month with the

aim of raising awareness about male prostate

cancer and raising money for research into cancer.

Ah, the moustache! That eternal badge of manhood

and testosterone! It immediately conjures images of

large men devouring roasted buffalo flesh, of hairy

armpits, of Bulls versus Sharks rugby, of dirty Toyota

Hilux bakkies, of Isandlwana, of frothing beers, guns

and war and...Pieter de Villiers.

It’s “Movember”

In rugby circles around the world, players in

particular show their support by growing intricate

designs of facial hair. Handle bars, Monte Christo’s,

The Walrus, Bards, Pork Chops and Goatees are

just some of their preferred choices.

In the European Leagues it seemed that the

players had all lost a bet. Wrong – they were

making a statement for charity – with moustaches.

How cool is that?

Join in and experience the fun. If you would like to

be a part of this global support group be sure to

run it by your wife or boss first!

Cup Final Champions: The Pangolins

The Sables have resumed training with the

Harare based players taking sessions at Harare

Sports Club every Tuesday and Thursday while

the Bulawayo based players are under the

watchful eye of National Coach Brendan Dawson.

The groups will meet for final preparations and

the official camp from Wednesday 3rd November

in Harare. The touring squad is likely to leave for

Morocco on Saturday 6th November.

Age: 28

School: Milton High School

Hometown: Bulawayo

Club Team: Old Miltonians

Weight: 82kg

Height: 179cm

Teams Represented: Lions 7’s, Valke Currie

Cup, Zim 7’s, Zim XV’s

Position 7’s: Hooker / Wing

Position XV’s: Outside Centre / Wing

Favorite Food: Blueberry ice-cream

cheesecake

Favourite Holiday destination: Paris (soon)

Favourite Venue: The Sevens Stadium

(Dubai)

You played for Milton High School in

Bulawayo. Was rugby your passion then? I

was more into athletics and basketball until

Brendan Dawson, who was still a player

back then, invited me to play for Old

Miltonians while I was still at school.

Norman Mukondiwa and I joined the Club

at a young age.

Where are you living now? If I’m not at

home in Bulawayo then I’m playing rugby

in South Africa.

Will you come back to Zimbabwe to give

back to the game? I’m still giving back by

playing for my country and hanging up my

boots scares me. I haven’t thought about

what happens next after I’ve finished

playing, but I will help where I can.

You’ve scored many tries on the IRB

Sevens World Series. Which one stands

out? It’s hard to pick one as watching them

on video I realize the magnitude of playing

at such a high level (IRB Sevens Series),

and how much I’ve contributed towards

the teams success.

How are your personal preparations

going for the Africa Cup and The IRB

World Series? Knowing that I could make

both teams to tour is the foundation for

my preparation. Knowing that they are just

around the corner motivates me more and

keeps my prayers burning.

defence and wise on field decisions. The senior members of

the team displayed commitment and energy that fused the

playing style of the club and many of the newer faces

followed and learned with unbounded enthusiasm.

The final itself against a worthy adversary, Harare Sports Club

had every ingredient a final needs. Tries, drop goals, big hits,

rain, red cards and of course...extra time! A 100 minute feast

of local rugger was showcased to the public, and the

spectators refused to be out done by a temperamental

Mother Nature.

The matched unearthed a young talent in Justin Coles as he

bagged a brace of tries to put The Dragons on the front foot.

If 2010 ended this way...look forward to 2011...it’s going to be

a bumper season! Captain Jacques Leitao and Scott Jones enjoying the spoils

Page 2

Official ZRU Newsletter

Player Profile - Wes Mbanje

Club Champs 2010

Junior World Trophy 2011

The 2010 National Rugby League was a

challenge for every club that took part. It was

long, tough, bruising and taxing on the body.

But one club stood tall and shouldered the

responsibilities by challenging all that took to

the field against them. The District Dragons

proved to be worthy champions, and with a one

match loss season they fully deserved the

accolades.

Head Coach Brighton Chivandire bought to the

club in 2010 an approach of winning by playing

the game effectively and with accuracy. A

simple formula that the players adopted and

executed with aplomb.

There were undoubtedly many challenges for

the club during the extended season but the

team was lead by an extraordinary figure in

Jacques Leitao. A player who lead from the

front, stoking the furnace of attack with brutish

You’ve worked with many coaches, which

ones stand out for you? Liam Middleton is

passionate about what he does and at

times I glance at him before we run on and

notice his eagerness and determination. I

get the feeling he might put on a pair of

boots and join us. As a coach he’s got fresh

ideas, he’s prepared and challenges us as

players. He has a rareness in his coaching

abilities and I see some of those qualities

in Gilbert Nyamutsamba.

Having recently qualified for the Junior

World Trophy 2011 to be held in the USA,

the Junior Sables management and

coaching staff are eagerly planning for

success. A strategic path has been

mapped out to ensure that no stone is

left unturned in Zimbabwe’s quest for

dominance and recognition at the age

group show piece.

Coach Brighton Chivandire has

confirmed that regular training camps,

testing and evaluations of the players

will be carried out over a period of 5

months so as to stringently select the

best possible touring group. For many of

the up and coming national players, this

will be their first taste of the professional

approach to playing rugby.

Players like captain Marco Mama, Justin

Coles, Corey Van Rensburg and Charles

Jiji will all play massive roles as leaders

and players alike.

Many of the current group experienced

the highs and lows of preparation and

participation for the 2010 edition of the

Junior World Trophy in Moscow this past

May. The experience they gained will be

invaluable to the teams success.

A big emphasis on this teams preparation

will be their strength and conditioning,

and their willingness to compete with a

professional mindset.

The challenge for these players is to

make the grade to playing for the

Zimbabwe National Teams.

Watch this space.

Captain Marco Mama will lead the

2011 Team

"The unique, desert atmosphere of Dubai is a superb venue to kick off the World Series and last year’s event was another fantastic advertisement for Sevens," said the IRB’s Series Tournament Director, Beth Coalter.

“We expect even better this year and also look forward to kicking off the World Series’ new title sponsorship with HSBC in the best possible style.”

“We fully expect this, the 12th edition of the World Series, to be the biggest and the best ever.”

A lot to look forward to for the ‘Sevens Faithful’ as Zimbabwe will square off against perennial favourites New Zealand, temperamental Argentina and the sleeping giant, USA in Pool B. No match is ever easy at this level and The Cheetahs are currently hard at work preparing for what will be nothing short of fireworks and rugby grandeur on the biggest Sevens stage. With the Cheetahs brand now being considered global,

the IRB has graced it on the official tournament poster

If you enjoy the game of rugby in Zimbabwe be it at schools, clubs or national level then consider

yourself a Fan. The Zimbabwe Rugby Community is a passionate one and the players that take to

the field every weekend appreciate your enthusiasm and support.

Zimbabwe Rugby hopes to showcase this talent on a regular basis and trusts that you The Fan

enjoy the whole experience. Be sure to follow this column each week as we seek to grow the

game and it’s following throughout Zimbabwe.

Each month will see our ‘Caption Photograph’ winner walk away with a prize. Be sure to be seen

at the games!

Congratulations to the October winner, Hapie Nyatanga.

This months winner receives a limited edition ‘Zimbabwe Rugby Centenary 1895-1995’ book by

Jonty Winch.

This month we speak with Pangolins Coach ‘Sykes’

Sibanda:

How long have you been involved in women’s rugby?

I’ve been involved since 2006.

What does the Olympic decision mean to Zimbabwe

Women’s Rugby? The decision came at the right time

for us, it means the game will grow and develop.

How has the team progressed over this season? The

team has progressed very well, we did not play to our

full potential at the Castle Sevens in Zambia, we were

the better team and we should have won the Cup. At

the Middleburg Sevens in South Africa there was a big

improvement as we won the Plate Final, but there’s

still a lot of work that needs be done before our

Tournament at the end of October.

How important to the teams growth is hosting our

own tournament? It is very important to the teams

Page 3

VOLUME 3

Zimbabwe’s Wes Mbane has too much pace for the Northern Region

cover defence

Coaches Corner

Recognising The Cheetahs

Fan Focus

CAPTION WINNER

If this is you please contact the ZRU offices: Grant rugby2@mweb.co.zw

You will need to provide your name and venue of the match at which you were

supporting in order to collect your prize.

growth as it gives us the much needed game time against

some strong opposition. Also it is generating a lot of interest

amongst the school girls and the public as they will be able to

see the National Women’s Sevens team in action at home.

What development programs are in place to grow the player base? At the moment we have the Women’s National League and the Girls High Schools league in Harare. We want to start a High schools league in Bulawayo as well. Then the next step would be the Primary Schools as players for the 2016 Olympics will come from the current High Schools League. I think we can look forward to qualifying for the Olympics as the players will have been introduced to rugby at an earlier stage, unlike what has been happening in some cases where players were starting rugby at club level. We also want to set up a Women’s Sevens Academy. A message for the supporters: Please come and support us. We will Fly our Flag high!

National Women’s Sevens Team: Winners of the Plate Final

Middleburg Sevens 2010

“ This will be

the biggest and

best ever”

Advertise in The Tackler This online publication is a great way for you and your company to be seen. With thousands of readers country

wide and a regional come global viewership in the hundreds we expect our Newsletter to reach far and wide.

Any laptop, home PC and business with internet connection can have access to our Newsletter.

The Tackler will be released online via e-mail, Facebook and the website every month with news, views and

reviews of Zimbabwe Rugby.

Should you wish to place an advert and sponsor a page or article please contact:

Grant : rugby2@mweb.co.zw

THE TACKLER

There is a good relationship between the aforementioned schools and the ZRRS which results in the utilisation of schools matches for training purposes. The efforts of senior referees who willingly give their time for this development, namely Mudiwa Mundawarara, Paul Comberbach, Pete Kaulback, Rory McWade, and Marty Wiles, who are all seasoned “Shadow Developers”, is massively important to the ZRRS development plan. All referees are frequently assessed and coached. The best times for this are at festivals such as Cottco for example. It’s an ideal opportunity to have the referees watched by both local and outside referee coaches. In addition to this, referees are encouraged to attend weekly

meetings held every Monday at Prince Edward School.

(Bulawayo has their own meetings run by the effervescent and

hard working Drew Roberts). Part of their development

involves active law discussion, law examinations twice a year

and fitness tests twice a year.

The consistent efforts of those who willingly watch and help with referee coaching and assessment is also key to Referee growth and Rick Kershaw, Mike Whiley, Eric Caldercourt, Dave Mathews and Rob Jarvis are just a few of the “elderly statesmen” who sacrifice their Saturdays to assist. And in the schoolboy ranks, there has been considerable improvement from all of the following : Des McDonnell, Chad Sinclair, Geoff Ames, Rob Prior, and Andrew Perlman. The ZRRS would like to believe that the following referees have made good progress this year : Simba Dangah, Gabriel Masenda, Sykes Sibanda and Tinashe Kamwenje. A number of them have done duty outside the country and their reports have been very satisfactory.

The Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Society was initiated way back in 1918 just after the 1st World War (then called the Rhodesia Rugby Referees Society). The 1st Chairman was a Colonel Webb, who had been a referee in England. Webb met with a number of keen rugby men and they established a Constitution for the Referee Society. At that time rugby was only played in Salisbury and Bulawayo, so the two branches met twice a month in each city to forward plan.

In 1970 the RRRS established other “branches” in Umtali and in Gwelo. In Harare the meetings were now held every week, a tradition which continues to this day. It was also agreed in 1970 that the official “uniform” for referees would be the yellow jersey and black shorts for ALL branches. It was only recently in the early 1990’s that the referees changed the shorts to green which we see today. The ZRRS has been actively making progress in the School environment to identify and develop schoolboy referees. These guys are the future of the game and it is vital that this recruitment and development continues. Some schools have been encouraged to have Referee “Clubs” and the boys can attend as part of their extra-curricular activities. Courses in Refereeing and Touch Judging are held, examinations/tests written and boys are certificated if they do well. Boys are also encouraged to start “shadow” refereeing with an experienced senior referee. Gradually the senior referee will take less part in the matches until such time as the Schoolboy can handle the fixture himself. Schools actively involved in this include St. Johns, Peterhouse, St. Georges and Prince Edward.

The ZRRS

Page 4

www.facebook.com/zim7s

www.zimbabwerugby.com

ONLINE STATS:

Website hits per week: 1750

Countries reached: USA / Japan / China /

Brazil / UK / Ireland / Australia / Uganda /

Namibia / Germany / Russia / UAE / Aus

(all 6 continents reached)

Facebook members: 1 485

Stats current as of 01/11/10

Rugby World Cup 1991

The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the last time our National XV’s side took part in this global

showpiece. Players like the late Richard Tsimba became household names in Zimbabwe as a

result of their efforts. The current National Team still has the ambition of creating the platform

to once again play at the highest level in tournaments to come.

Brenton Catterall, Alex Nicholls and Andy Ferreira assist with rugby at school level in Zimbabwe

while Brendan Dawson is currently the National XV’s Head Coach. Adrian Garvey through his

Garvz Academy is also contributing to the growth of the game at junior levels in his home

country. Coach Buchanan’s son, Justin, has followed in his Father’s footsteps and is himself

currently a National player.

It’s pleasing to see that legends of the game in Zimbabwe still have the heart for and support

of Zimbabwe Rugby.

In addition there are several referees who are still relativenovices but who have good potential, such as Scott McDonnell, Mark Phillips, and Mathias Bvepfepfe. And in the schoolboy ranks, there has been considerable improvement from all of the following : Des McDonnell, Chad Sinclair, Geoff Ames, Rob Prior, and Andrew Perlman. Given hard work and the correct exposure, several of the above referees could reach a very high level. An integral part of the game is the Assistant Referee. Not everyone can be a referee and it is great that the ZRRS has a good team of guys who run the flag every weekend. These guys too, must attend weekly meetings, sit laws examinations, pass fitness tests, and then be assessed. The ZRRS has invitations to send referees and referee coaches to Ireland and England in 2011. This will be for a period of 12 days during which the referee will be given 4 matches and will be assessed externally. In order for this to happen the ZRRS must fund raise and/or get help from the ZRU. It would be a pity to lose out on this opportunity due to the lack of funds. In addition to this the ZRRS would like to continue and expand the schoolboy recruitment exercise, and encourage/recruit from the ex-player base. Regional exchanges are essential that we continue to use regional tournaments for our development. Exchanges with South Africa, Zambia, Namibia and Kenya will be encouraged. For the time being though, we need to heed Jonathon Kaplans words : What makes a great referee ? Flair … To add to the game. Judgement … To make the correct and consistent calls. Nerve … To be resolute and firm under pressure. Vision … To set realistic goals and to work hard to attain them.

Useful links:

www.zimbabwesport24-7.com

www.irb.com www.rugby365.com

www.scrum.com