The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FIVE South African coaches are heading to Zimbabwe for the third edition of the AMG Global Junior Rugby Coaching Festival at Falcon College in Esigodini early next month.
The five are Marius Hurter, Rob Kempson, Joe Beukes, Eugene Eloff and Sean Everett. All of them are from the Investec International Rugby Academy. Hurter, a member of the South African Springboks squad which won the 1995 Rugby World Cup winning and former Uganda coach Beukes are making a second appearance at the fiesta which runs from 3 to 5 May. For former Golden Lions mentor Eloff, Kempson and Everett, it is the first time for them to be involved in this fiesta.
Zimbabwe Sables coach, Peter de Villiers and his assistant Brendan Dawson are expected to also lend a hand in mentoring the youngsters attending this year’s rugby feast.
Orlando Fernandes, the festival director said the projected number of teams expected at this year’s fiesta is 21 teams from 19 schools in Zimbabwe, which represents about 420 boys with nearly 50 coaches.
The festival is unique in that the players are coached in the morning and then play matches in the afternoon with their coaches allowed on the field of play.
Fernandes believes this distinctive model has the possibility to develop both the coaches and the players who attend the festival.
“Falcon College is pleased, once again, to play host to the AMG Global Junior Rugby Coaching Festival. I believe this to be a unique concept in Zimbabwe and has the potential to develop all the players and coaches who attend. It also exposes both players and coaches to, literally, world renowned former players and coaches who are offering their skills back to the sport of rugby,’’ Fernandes said.
He expressed his gratitude to the main bankrollers, AMG Global and other sponsor who have once again extended a helping hand in ensuring that this year’s event is a success.
“I am extremely grateful to AMG Global who continue to support this festival by providing significant sponsorship which allows us to bring in such experts. I am also grateful to several other companies who have also made an impact namely Zimbabwe Lithium, PPC Cement, Associated Tyres, Fuchs, Tesa Fencing and Flo Petroleum. It is my hope that players and coaches leave this festival better prepared for the rugby season ahead and inspired to take this sport to new heights,’’ he said.
Emmanuel Mudefi, the AMG Global partner said as sponsors they were pleased to note that the festival continues to grow with the number from this year expected at over 400 boys. This is a significant increase seeing that 150 attended the first tournament in 2016.
“AMG Global has been the main sponsor of this annual Junior Rugby Coaching Festival (“the Festival”) for the past three consecutive years. The firm has witnessed the festival’s growth from its humble beginnings in 2016 of 150 boys and/or 16 coaches to a projection of over 400 boys and/or 50 coaches in 2018,’’ Mudefi said.
Since it started in 2016, the AMG Global Rugby Coaching Festival has benefited a number of players and their coaches. Mudefi expressed confidence in the way the festival is conducted with his hope that in future, it will benefit more local schools.
“AMG Global is proud to have facilitated the cumulative training of close to 1 000 boys and 100 coaches, in conjunction with Falcon College and the Investec International Rugby Academy. We are proud to be associated with this concept and believe that it will benefit our schools and our country in the long run,’’ he said.
Participating teams will arrive at Falcon College on 2 May and depart on 5 May.
