Investor keen to partner ZRU
THE Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) have said they have found an investor to partner them in the building of a rugby stadium in Victoria Falls.
ZRU approached the Victoria Falls Municipality last year asking for land to build a permanent rugby stadium in the resort town following the inauguration of the Kwese Sports sevens tournament which will be staged here until 2022.
The stadium is viewed by the tournament organisers as part of their aim to develop the game in the resort town to attract international events and clubs.
ZRU president Aaron Jani on Sunday said an investor had shown interest in partnering the union in the building of a stadium.
“The tournament was fantastic and we had two days of competitive and high quality rugby. As for the plans for the stadium, we are only three months old now in office and we are taking over from where the previous executive left off. We managed to have discussions with Commissioner Clement Mukwasi.
“What he has done is to show us two options: there is a stadium (Chinotimba) that was being used for other sports and there is an open ground close to Elephant Hills that can also be potentially used,” said Jani, a former Sables winger.
He was expected to visit Chinotimba Stadium yesterday to assess its state with a view to upgrading it before next year’s edition of the Kwese Sevens.
“We are also seeing a potential investor who is coming through from the UK to come and look at the option of assisting us and building a partnership for a stadium,” Jani said.
He could not be drawn into revealing the investor saying engagements were still going on.
Jani said a stadium is ideal in Victoria Falls to develop the sport in Matabeleland North.
“It’s very important that we have the sport developed here. Victoria Falls Primary School has been very kind to us but I think we need to be a little closer to the community and town so that we get numbers coming through,” he added.
Mukwasi said they will soon approach the Municipality to update management about the coming investors.
He said the idea should be along developing a multi-purpose stadium.
“We are looking at Chinotimba Stadium and our wish is that next year Chinotimba Stadium should play host to the games.
“What we only need to do is approach partners because alone the council can’t afford this. We have spoken to some investors who are willing to partner in the project and all we need to do now is go to council,” added Mukwasi.
The council management has been looking for partners to start projects of rehabilitating and developing sporting facilities so that the resort town can also grow its sport tourism potential.
Victoria Falls is usually quiet in terms of sport, with the Victoria Falls Marathon, ironically sponsored by Econet, the mother company to Kwese Sport, the only major sporting event on the calendar.
If the ZRU plans succeed, this will put the resort town on the world map and maybe attract the rugby world.
Zimbabwe Cricket faltered on similar plans after being allocated land in the industrial area to build a 10 000-seater stadium by council.
ZC cited lack of funding for abandoning the plans. — @ncubeleon