Sahumani misses Mwana Rugby Festival
IT’S two steps forward and one step backwards for the development of rugby in Manicaland after the once enterprising rural-based Sahumani Secondary School girls team failed to make the trip to Harare for this year’s inaugural Mwana Rugby Festival due to lack of resources.
The festival was previously known as Dairibord Rugby Festival, which is arguably the country’s biggest annual rugby competition.
The festival was previously bankrolled by milk and milk products producer, Dairibord, before takeover this year by Mwana Group, which manufactures vehicles accessories and doubles as a trucks and buses dealer.
But it is this year’s absence of Sahumani Secondary School girls team — hailing from the undulating terrain and deep thickets of Honde Valley — that easily captures the attention of those who have been following their Cinderella story in the game of rugby.
When the girls at Sahumani Secondary School started playing rugby back in 2017, they had to make do with the soccer pitch and the oversized football shirts used by the boys.
Five years down the line, several of the girls ere representing the country in the sport, while girl rights activists credited the project for saving them from becoming child brides.
Manicaland Rugby Board chairperson, Mos Kapumha admitted that the absence of Sahumani is testimony of lack of grassroots sport support in rural areas.
“Our plea is for corporates, local businesspeople and politicians to help support the development of sport. This helps to bridge the gap between societies, be it either in sport or academics and at tertiary or school level. This lack of support also stifles the growth of the game in marginalised areas and demoralises the players and coaches who would have worked hard and sacrificed their time and effort, only to be let down on the 11th hour by lack of resources.
“So there is need for collective support from parents, school administrators, community leaders and the business community to make sure that these players’ dreams are nurtured and actualised,” he said.
However, Manicaland is not without its representatives at this year’s edition of the competition after Mavhudzi High boys and girls, Mutare Boys’ High and Marist Brothers Under-16 as well as senior teams are in attendance.
“As Manicaland, we are pleased with
Mavhudzi High, Marist Brothers and Mutare Boys’ High School’s participation at the inaugural Mwana Rugby Festival.
“These teams were drawn from three districts out of seven. Sahumani failed to travel at the 11th hour from Mutasa North in Honde Valley due to lack of funds.
“The participation of the three schools is good and shows that rugby is alive and thriving in schools in the province. It shows a great deal of commitment even from the school administrators towards sport and providing equal opportunities for their learners and a balanced curriculum. This also helps to prepare these schools for the upcoming national and provincial schools rugby league. Manicaland will have a schools’ rugby league starting in May when schools open.
“Mutare Boys’ High and Hillcrest will be taking part in the CBZ national schools league. Manicaland schools will be busy this second term playing in structured rugby leagues provincially and nationally in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1),” he said. In the ongoing Mwana Rugby Festival which ends on Sunday, Mavhudzi was its Under-20 boys edging Dzivarasekwa 12-7 on Monday.