The Sunday News
Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Rugby Union is looking to have a new national fifteens team technical department in place at least by the beginning of October. Sables coach Cyprian Mandenge, his assistant for the last two matches Daniel Hondo and team manager Sebastian Garikai all resigned last Monday. ZRU vice-president Noddy Kanyangarara said the positions will be advertised once the union gets the resignation letters from the trio.
Mandenge and his lieutenants are believed to have quit over the team’s poor show which has seen the country’s flagship national rugby team lose seven matches in a row, a losing streak which began in August last year when Zimbabwe were drubbed 80-6 by Namibia in Windhoek.
“We will advertise as soon as we get the resignation letters, we hope to have a new Sables coach by beginning of October,’’ said Kanyangarara. Mandenge is said to have met ZRU vice-president in charge of national teams Tapiwa Mangezi last Friday but it could not be established what was up for discussion in that tete-a-tete.
Review meetings were recently held by the ZRU technical director Brighton Chivandire with all the national team coaches. From those briefings, Chivandire went on to make his recommendations to his superiors at ZRU on what he believes is the best way for the respective national teams.
Kanyangarara revealed that Chivandire suggested that that the Under-14 as well as the Under-16 technical teams remain the same but proposed that the Under-18 boys have to be reviewed which means all the posts for that age group have to be advertised. The Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa-coached lads have since 2014 only won one out of nine matches at the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week in South Africa with their only victory being a 16-9 triumph over Griquas Country Districts at this year’s tournament held at Kearsney College in Durban.
On women, Chivandire is said to have proposed that Nsikelelo Sibanda remains as the Under-18 girls coach while for the women sevens team the Lady Cheetahs who are under the guidance of Abigail Kawonza be also retained but beefed up.
Chivandire advised that the men’s sevens side the Cheetahs men retain Daniel Hondo, his assistant John Ewing and bring in former coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba to return as an assistant, Shaun de Souza of Prince Edward be brought in to bridge the gap between the schools and the senior national team in charge of the development.
Farai Mahari was recently appointed head coach with Jeffrey Madhake of Churchill brought in to assist him. Mahari succeeded Brendon who stepped down last month. Twitter: @Mdawini_29
