National rugby coaches told to re-apply

20 Dec, 2014 - 22:12 0 Views
National rugby coaches told to re-apply

The Sunday News

THE Zimbabwe Rugby Union has asked the national team coaches, whose contracts expire at the end of this month, to re-apply for their jobs next year.

On Friday, the ZRU disclosed that all the contracts of their national team coaches were due by 31 December and that the respective mentors should show interest by 2 January if they harboured an ambition of retaining their portfolios.

Zimbabwe Sables gaffer Brendan Dawson, his Cheetahs counterpart Gilbert Nyamutsamba, national Under-20 coach Nsikelelo Sibanda and Lady Cheetahs coach Abigail Kawonza are the coaches who are expected to show their willingness in retaining their jobs.

A new position of women’s national 15s team coach has also been created.

“In accordance with the fact that Terms of Reference for all National Coaches are under review and subject to re-application as at the end of December 2014, please find attached for your information the notices requesting for applications for the various coaching positions available in 2015 which includes a new position for a National Women’s XV’s Coach. Deadlines for application are 2 January 2015,” reads part of the ZRU advertisement for the positions.

Dawson took over as Sables mentor from Christopher Lampard in 2007 and duly turned around the fortunes of the country’s flagship national rugby team. When Dawson came at the helm, the Sables were ranked 57 in the world, but now boast of position 26 on the global rankings.

Zimbabwe is the third best African side behind African powerhouse South Africa and Namibia. The former Sables skipper clinched the Confederation of African Rugby Southern Trophy in Botswana in 2009, the Victoria Cup a triangular series involving Kenya as well as Uganda in 2011, won the Africa Cup in 2012, finished second in the same competition in 2013 and this year where they came close to qualifying for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

Zimbabwe came second to Namibia in the qualifiers played in Madagascar with the Namibians securing an automatic slot. The Sables played Russia in an inter-confederation play-off, a match which they lost 15-23 in Russia. The loss put an end to the Sables dreams of qualifying for the Rugby World Cup for the first time since 1991.

At the 2011 Annual Sports Awards, Dawson took home the Coach of the Year Award.

Nyamutsamba took charge of the Cheetahs in 2011 from Liam Middleton becoming the first black coach of the country’s Sevens team. Under his guidance the Cheetahs won the Shied at the HSBC South African leg in December 2011 and the Spar International sevens in March 2012.

The Cheetahs under Nyamutsamba’s guidance also won the CAR Africa cup in September 2012 before qualifying for the 2013 Sevens Rugby World Cup in Moscow, Russia where they finished number 13 out of 24 countries. Zimbabwe also won the World Sevens Series qualifier in Hong Kong with a 22-19 triumph over Tonga in the final.

In 2012 Nyamutsamba banged the Coach of the Year accolade at the ANSA Awards while the Cheetahs were crowned the Team of the Year.

Nyamutsamba was temporarily removed from coaching the Cheetahs under unclear circumstances at the end of last year when then ZRU director of rugby Middleton appointed himself the coach of the team.

When Nyamutsamba returned to his post this year, he led the Cheetahs to a third place finish at the CAR Africa Cup Sevens played at Prince Edward High School in Harare at the end of last month. That saw the Cheetahs book their place at the Hong Kong World Sevens Series qualifier in March next year and are the highest ranked African nation ahead of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics qualifiers to be held next year.

Sibanda has twice failed to lead the Zimbabwe Under-19 team to the World Rugby Junior World Trophy in the two years he has been in charge since he took over in 2012 from Brighton Chivandire, which could pave way for someone to be appointed to replace him.

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