The Sunday News
Tinashe Kusema, Harare Bureau
AS if the stakes were not already high, things appear to have reached another level in Accra, Ghana!
With bragging rights and medals already on the line – rugby will now be played at the recently commissioned state-of-the-art Rugby Stadium at the ongoing African Games tomorrow.
Situated at the University of Ghana, the stadium holds the promise of becoming the cornerstone for hosting international rugby competitions not only in the country, but the entire West Africa region.
The Rugby Stadium serves as the first international standard rugby stadium in West Africa and was modelled to the World Rugby guidelines and regulations.
Zimbabwe joins other countries taking part in the competition and the Cheetahs’ camp, which arrived in Accra late last week, is aware of the significance of both the sport’s debut and the venue.
“It means a lot to us to be here. We are playing in the biggest multi-sporting tournament in Africa, and to be able to represent our country here is amazing.
“This is almost like the African Olympics, so it’s a huge honour and privilege to be here (Ghana),” said Cheetahs’ skipper Hilton Mudariki.
His sentiments were echoed by his coach, Ricky Chirengende, who said the entire team was excited as rugby makes its debut at the games.
Team Zimbabwe have, so far, done fairly well although the medal numbers do not reflect as much.
Zimbabwe had five medals as of yesterday: gold (2), one silver and bronze (2).
Countries like Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa top the medal standings.
Egypt has 144 medals (83 gold, 33 silver and 28 bronze), while Nigeria collected 68 (25 gold, 18 silver and 25 bronze) with South Africa bagging 87 (24 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze).
What is important to note is that Team Zimbabwe went to Ghana with three objectives which revolve around Olympic qualification, podium finishes and blooding young players for future editions.
Team Zimbabwe had high hopes of winning a medal in cricket and the Lady Chevrons did not disappoint. They won the gold medal by beating South Africa by two wickets in the Super Over final last week.
Next up is rugby.
Coincidentally, the two teams (Lady Chevrons and Cheetahs) met at the airport last week.
During that encounter, Chirengende spoke briefly with the “Golden Girls”. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of the Lady Chevrons’ by also returning with a medal.
“The Lady Chevrons did very well. We were rallying behind them throughout their tournament.
“Now, the onus is on us to follow suit and bring back the gold.
“Their win was very motivating as it gave us a sniff of what it means to win gold for the country. We hope to put a similar smile on the faces of our countrymen,” added Chirengende.
Acclimatisation has been tough due to the heat in Western Africa.
According to Chirengende, the vibe in camp is currently good.
“It is very hot and humid this side.
“Our main task the last couple of days was adjusting and acclimatising to the conditions, especially during our practice sessions.
“The rugby ball is like a bar of soap when you are playing here. The humidity and sweat makes it kind of slippery,” the gaffer revealed.
Lady Chevrons
He added that they have been trying to get used to the conditions and grip of the ball during practice sessions.
“We are all going to be playing under these conditions and don’t intend to use it as an excuse, but rather find the best way to work around it,” he explained.
There is also apathy in the rugby competition, he added, with many teams pulling out at the last minute.
This forced a change in format.
The rugby competition will now be played under round-robin rules with the team with the most points after six matches taking home the gold.
Chirengende, however, does not seem bothered by the development, citing that the changes are minimal.
Zimbabwe will still play six matches and be required to win all.
