The Sunday News
THE Midlands-Matabeleland Rugby League has received a massive boost with sponsorship from Keats Enterprises, a company with business interests in Bulawayo and Zvishavane.
The Mid-Mat league comprises teams from Bulawayo, Midlands and Masvingo provinces.
The league, which is in the form of a Challenge Cup, kicks off on Saturday and will be competed for by four clubs from Bulawayo, three from the Midlands and one from Masvingo.
It will run for eight weeks after which outstanding clubs, coaches and players will be honoured at the end of the competition.
Matabeleland Busters, Old Miltonians, Western Panthers, Police Bulldogs will represent Bulawayo, while the presence of Midlands will be felt in the form of Gweru Sports Club, Zvishavane Bulls and Thornhill, with Masvingo Titans being Masvingo’s sole representative.
Confirming the sponsorship package, Keats Enterprises managing director Tapiwa Mangezi said their company would take care of prizes at the end of the league as well as refreshments for the teams after every match. The winner of the league will be presented with a floating trophy and 25 medals for the whole team. There are also a number of individual accolades to be handed out during an awards ceremony to be held at the end of the season.
Mangezi, the former Matabeleland Rugby Football Board chairman, said they were waiting for the Midlands and Masvingo clubs to confirm their participation before finalising the fixtures.
As part of the plans for the season, the Matabeleland Under-21 and senior team would tour Botswana.
Lack of sponsorship for a national club structure has forced clubs in the northern part of the country to play each other while those situated in the southern region will compete among themselves. Select sides will then be selected to play each other as part of a national team selection process.
While the Zimbabwe Rugby Union announced that they had taken over the running of club rugby in the country away from the Noddy Kanyangarara led National Rugby League, no funds have been secured for clubs from all over the country to play against each other.
