The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
SOUTH Africa based Sables lock, Jan Ferreira has applauded the Zimbabwe Rugby Union for looking after locally based players during the tough times brought about by the coronavirus.
Reacting to the official handover of food parcels bought using the World Rugby Food and Medical Relief fund, Ferreira said it was gratifying to know that those without means to look after themselves in the local rugby community were being offered assistance.
“It’s important and I’m glad to see they are being so proactive and professional about it all. It’s really heartwarming to know that our less fortunate are being thought of and helped somewhat. Every little bit helps,’’ Ferreira said.
ZRU last Saturday unveiled the food parcels purchased using the 5 000 Euros made available to the union by World Rugby through Africa Rugby which is meant to come to the aid of those associated with the sport whose lives have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus. Players, coaches, medical personnel, referees and ZRU employees will benefit from the food hampers.
Abigail Mnikwa, the chairperson of the subcommittee responsible for distributing the funds said the food hampers will be given to all the national team players that are in the country, that is the fifteens as well as sevens men and women together with their technical staff, medical personnel as of 2019. All referees who did international games in 2019 and the ZRU secretariat will also get hampers. The hampers contain two kilograms of rice, 1kg salt and 10kg roller meal.
Mealie meal was also purchased, with the distribution of the 243 bags to be done through the chairpersons of the 10 provinces. The basic commodity is meant to be distributed to the 62 registered clubs countrywide.
ZRU vice president south, Martin Shone said they are distributing hampers to national team players based in the southern region with a handover at Hartsfield on Friday.
Martin Shone
“We will start off by giving food hampers to national team players then we will give mealie meal to provinces, each club is going to receive mealie meal from all the provinces. Obviously it’s not much but it will go a long way in helping some of the players that have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,’’ Shone said.
Rugby is one of the sporting activities still prohibited in the country as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. This means locally based players who rely on allowances from national or club assignments have been left with no sources of income.
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