The Sunday News
From Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
HWANGE Diggers Rugby Club are embarking on a rebranding exercise which has seen club’s name being changed to Zambezi Diggers’ Club as they seek to reinvigorate the sport which was once popular and hugely followed in the coal mining town.
The club’s coach, Octavia Chikukura, revealed this in an interview last week and highlighted that the rebranding project was an ongoing project .
“Yes, it is true Hwange Diggers has rebranded and is now called Zambezi Diggers. A lot of evolution has occurred over the years ranging from sponsorship, growth of the game in general and deteriorating infrastructure hence it is prudent we rebrand and breathe some oxygen into the sport which was last active around 2005.
“However, during this period there was no total abandonment of rugby as seniors met regularly for touch rugby until in 2014 when we introduced tag rugby for primary schools, a move which in turn revived interest in older players “From 2014 there has been great development in Hwange and we are looking at expanding the game to other parts of the province like the boarding schools in Mat North and tertiary institutions. I am also happy the Zimbabwe Rugby Union committee is really willing to work with us to ensure the game keeps developing in the district and province as a whole,’’ she added.
Chikukura, a former winger for the Zimbabwe national rugby team, Pangolins, from 2007 to 2014, is also targeting increased female participation in Hwange rugby.
“Female participation in rugby is just starting and we are targeting high schools and I am happy we managed to take a team to the National Youth Games last year. We have over 50 girls playing rugby in schools around the district and these are products of our tag rugby initiative.” she said.
Back in the years Hwange Diggers produced renowned names in the town like the late Meikles “Ngunga” Mathe, Skhuleke Tshabalala, Ian Musoso, Thokozani Landa, Joseph Chikowore, Xmas Ncube, Bernard Ncube and Vumi Moyo to name a few.
The current crop of players showing promise include Taurai Jani, Dion Kamwendo, Kabelo Mpofu, Tinashe Vakisai, Ranganai Mukombani, Clarence Ngoshi, Allan Sibanda and Brandon Tshaka.
The rebranded club is also working hard to make an impression during the upcoming Kwese Sports Victoria Falls Sevens to be held in the resort town on 24 and 25 March.
