Company in bid to grow schools rugby

EVERY time businessman Kudakwashe Mutenda talks about the upcoming Mwana Group International Schools Rugby Festival, he comes across as a child describing a new toy.

His love and passion for both the sport and the tournament run deep.

He is promising first-class entertainment, all sorts of innovations and a family-friendly environment when the festival begins next year.

“Most of my fondest childhood memories, particularly from high school, were at the Cottco Schools Rugby Festival,”said Mutenda, who is an alumnus of both Peterhouse and Prince Edward schools.

“When the pandemic (Covid-19) hit, the festival was put on ice for two years, and again this year, but largely due to the lack of sponsorship.

“This was unacceptable to me, and I decided to step up, take the responsibility and do it myself.”

Mutenda and his team approached Prince Edward, Zimbabwe Rugby Union and the Sports and Recreation Commission to sell their vision.

With the deal done, the festival, which normally precedes the start of the schools second term, is set for April 29-May 4, 2024.

Although there will be a few additions and innovations, the tournament will retain its traditional format.

“It has been a long and winding road to get to this point; one full of many obstacles, as getting buy-in from all the schools in Zimbabwe has been a struggle,” he said.

“The last years of the Dairibord festival were not as good as they could have been, and the arrival of the St John’s Derby Day Festival did not help matters.

“What we have set about doing is to remind all the rugby stakeholders that this festival is still the bedrock of talent recruitment, selection and development.

“It is still one of the biggest schoolboy rugby tournaments on the continent, and we now want to bring a new feel to it and take it to the next level.”

Over 100 teams, 300 matches, 3 000 athletes and over 100 000 spectators are expected during the week-long competition.

It is hoped that teams from Japan, the United Kingdom, Romania, Germany and South Africa will be part of the event.

The festival will be preceded by a primary schools day-long tournament.

In the main competition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be set aside for development teams, with traditional giants such as Churchill and Prince Edward schools featuring on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

While the tournament officially kicks off next year, festivities are expected to begin next month when Mwana Group holds a one-day business course in the capital.

“The biggest innovation that we are bringing in right now, and the first of its kind, is a one-day course in sports business,” Mutenda added.

“The goal of this course is to teach the teachers and school administrators the business side of sports, and that is how to fundraise and how to manage the many financial aspects of sport.

“It will be done in collaboration with universities in both South Africa and a couple of local ones, as well as other business personalities who understand business and sport . . .

“It will be a yearly thing and one of many that will also include coaching (IRB level One) and refereeing courses . . .”

Mutenda also intends to bring an international flair to the tournament, hence the name Mwana Group International Schools Rugby Festival.

While his rugby profile is rather thin, having only played at Peterhouse and Prince Edward, Mutenda is hoping to put his business experience to good use.

“We have made contact with 30 or 40 countries now, and we have received favourable responses from Japan, where I spent something like 15 years as a student and working,” he said.

“I have strong contacts there and they have expressed their interest in coming here.

“We also have confirmations from the United Kingdom; Germany; Romania; definitely South Africa; Botswana, who will bring three teams; Malawi; Mozambique and Zambia.

“The hope is that by the end of next month, we will know which schools are coming.”