The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ALMOST two years after he was removed as Zimbabwe senior national sevens rugby team coach, Gilbert Nyamutsamba has returned to the post, taking over from the man who succeeded him, Daniel Hondo.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union president Nyararai Sibanda last Tuesday said Nyamutsamba has been handed back the task of taking charge of the country’s sevens national team. Nyamutsamba will be assisted by Hondo as well as four provincial coaches from Bulawayo, Harare, Midlands and Manicaland. Donald Mangenje, the former Zimbabwe Sevens Committee chairperson has been installed as the fulltime manager of the Cheetahs.
“Gilbert Nyamutsamba has been appointed national sevens team coach, his assistant is Daniel Hondo, the team manager is Donald Mangenje. Nyamutsamba will be working with four provincial coaches from Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Midlands. That structure must grow into other provinces. Nyamutsamba, his mandate is to get our sevens back on track, make sure he has 40 competent players,’’ said Sibanda.
Nyamutsamba said he was pleased with the kind of faith shown in him by the ZRU leadership and believes he can play a part in reviving the shortest, fast paced and exciting version of rugby in Zimbabwe by reviving the former glory days of the Cheetahs.
After years of assisting Liam Middleton, Nyamutsamba was appointed Cheetahs head coach in 2011. When Middleton came in as ZRU technical director in 2013, he allegedly started meddling in Nyamutsamba’s duties and even went to the 2014 Hong Kong Sevens as the Cheetahs head coach. Nyamutsamba was only reinstated to his role when Middleton resigned to become Canada coach towards the end of 2014.
On the fifteens national side, Sibanda confirmed that Cyprian Mandenge, who resigned from his position as head coach of the Sables has been re-engaged with his assistant being Brighton Chivandire, Sam Samu is the team manager, Thabo Moyo is the analyst while Tendai Muchena is the physiotherapist. Jafet Ndebele and Brendon Chombo have been roped in as fitness trainers for the Sables. Sibanda outlined that Hondo is attached to all national teams as the strength and conditioning coach.
On how Mandenge, whose previous tenure saw the Sables lose seven of the nine matches that they played got to be handed back the job, Sibanda explained that he had to re-apply for the post, was interviewed and was engaged on new terms. Sibanda said Mandenge’s mandate is to bring back the Sables from Africa Cup Division 1B to 1A.
Mandenge has to also win 1A in 2017 for Zimbabwe to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Brendan Dawson also showed interest in regaining the post he lost to Mandenge at the beginning of last year but he lost out as ZRU and him could not agree on certain issues.
“He (Mandenge) had to reapply, he applied and was interviewed, circumstances and objectives have changed, it is in those interests that he was re-engaged and past results were not considered.
“His brief is to come out of 1B, stay in 1A win 1A to take us to the World Cup. Dawson, he has an indelible record of moving the national team no other coach has that record that is respected.
“He would have delivered but there are other factors that had to be considered,’’ said Sibanda.
On the chief executive officer Colleen De Jong who was reportedly forced to quit her job, Sibanda said she resigned on harmonious terms in June and has since left after serving notice.
Sibanda pointed out that De Jong is still working on projects given to her by him, something that is said to have caused unease within the ZRU leadership. Nsikelelo Sibanda has been acting director of rugby since Chivandire left office at the end of September after resigning in August.
“The chief executive officer resigned amicably in June but she has outstanding projects she had to do, she is still finishing off projects, she has been given assignments by the president.
“The director of rugby resigned for personal reasons, Nsikelelo Sibanda is the acting director of rugby, appointed last Monday,
“Chivandire finished his month’s notice. We are crafting new job specifications and will then advertise,’’ Sibanda said.
ZRU recently held an emergency general meeting where the issue of the World Rugby Under-20 debt came up.
The tournament is said to have left ZRU with a debt of $54 000 which brings the union’s arrears to $130 000 which is not much compared to their cricket and football counterparts who are millions in the red.
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