The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
DESPITE overwhelming evidence being brought forward, the Zimbabwe Rugby Union continues to refute allegations that they botched a financial arrangement for the 2014 National Rugby League from Delta Beverages. According to NRL chairman Noddy Kanyangarara, alleged meddling by the ZRU at the end of 2013 saw the league’s financial backers Delta Beverages resolve not to renew the sponsorship package when it expired.
Kanyangarara has maintained that the ZRU leadership, mainly vice-presidents Colleen de Jong, Nyararai Sibanda, former union employees Liam Middleton and David Crouch approached Delta Beverages insisting that they wanted to negotiate a sponsorship deal for a national club structure. This brought about confusion since Delta Beverages marketing staff had been negotiating with the Kanyangarara-led NRL executive for the renewal of the sponsorship.
As a result of the interference by ZRU, Delta Beverages decided not to renew their marriage with the NRL. After being left in the cold, the NRL ran the league with funds that were meant for prize money for the 2013 season.
When the money ran out, the NRL ended prematurely when attempts for the clubs to participate in play-offs for a more dignified end drew a blank with teams indicating that they did not have funds to fulfill the fixtures.
In a brief response to questions from this newspaper, the ZRU denied ever negotiating with Delta Beverages to sponsor club rugby.
“The ZRU Executive at no time in 2014 negotiated with a potential sponsor specifically for funding for a National Rugby League,’’ reads the scanty and apparently unconvincing reply from ZRU.
Kanyangarara has maintained that ZRU ruined their prospects of getting financial funding when its leadership and workers approached Delta Beverages. An electronic message between Kanyangarara, ZRU president John Falkenberg, Delta Beverages senior marketing staff in December 2013 seen by this publication confirms that ZRU did create confusion when Sibanda in particular is said to have pestered Maxen Karombo, the corporation’s marketing director for a meeting where he wanted to discuss the NRL sponsorship.
“They can deny it all they want but I have proof that they messed up our sponsorship deal, they did not affiliate us because we were seen as always being too powerful because we have the clubs on our side,’’ said Kanyangarara.
The allegations came after ZRU who have for years failed to even hold an inter-provincial senior players tournament announced plans to run a domestic club competition. ZRU have explained that they will not be responsible for the running of the league but have since mandated the provinces to make possible a domestic league through clubs to make sure that the game is played at all levels.
“Whilst we await final confirmation of the venues and fixtures for domestic competition that involves all club teams please be advised of the following: The ZRU will not run the league, the ZRU as custodians of all rugby in Zimbabwe mandated the provinces to facilitate and fixture a domestic league through the clubs that would ensure that the game can be played at all levels.
“The structure of this competition needed to take into consideration that funding is not available for a ‘national’ inter-city league at this time. Players must be given an opportunity to play whatever the financial circumstances are,’’ said the ZRU.
According to ZRU, a considerable amount of discussion on the format of such a domestic league to operate within these parameters, both financial and logistical took place. It was suggested that provincial leagues take place in the North and South until such time as any form of sponsorship is confirmed and monies are available through the ZRU for a national league.
After some years without a national club league in Zimbabwe, the NRL was formed in 2006 firstly as a Northern Rugby League for clubs in Harare and Marondera. Bulawayo and Midlands clubs were included in the set up in 2009. A sponsorship was secured from Delta Beverages in 2011 which saw the set up being called the Lion Lager National Rugby League up until the end of 2013 when Delta Beverages decided not to renew the sponsorship.
The NRL contributed significantly to the growth of rugby in the country with a lot of success achieved by the Zimbabwe Sables since 2009. In 2009 with locally based players, the Sables, coached by Brendan Dawson won the Confederation of African Rugby Southern Trophy in Botswana, clinched the Africa Cup division 1C tournament in Bulawayo the following year. The year 2011 proved to be the most successful for the Sables with mostly local based stars as they did not only earn promotion to the elite Africa Cup division 1A but also won the Victoria Cup, a triangular tournament where Zimbabwe took on Kenya and Uganda on a home as well as away basis.
In 2012, Zimbabwe won the Africa Cup and have ever since then been the third best rugby playing country in Africa behind Namibia and South Africa with most of that success achieved with local based players.
