The Sunday News
Allan Foti, Sports Correspondent
APPOINTED in late December last year, the Zimbabwe Rugby Union U/20 Committee chairman, Itai Chataura is happy with the side’s preparations ahead of the Word Cup Qualifiers to be held in Namibia later this month.
Speaking to Sunday Sport from his base in Harare, Chataura said his committee has been able to ensure that the squad has the best possible preparations to ensure good results at the qualifiers that begin on March 26 adding that this has been made possible because of corporate sponsorship from title sponsor Seed Co-op and Econet.
“I was appointed in late December and since then the focus has been to ensure that the national Under-20 side has adequate preparations for the World Cup Qualifiers that will be held in Namibia later this month,” Chataura told Sunday Sport.
The former Marondera High School and Old Hararians’ tight head prop revealed that the coaches, Bob Mahary (head coach) and Jeff Madake (assistant coach) have been able to select their squad from a large pool of players that include those currently playing in England and South Africa. He said the selection process has resulted in a squad of 30 players being selected that is expected to be announced this week.
The 30-man squad is expected to go into camp on March 15 after which it will be cut to 25 players to travel to Namibia.
“When we called for players to avail themselves for the selection process, we were pleasantly surprised when we managed to get players from the UK and South Africa attending. This allowed the coaches to have a larger pool and more competent pool to choose from,” Chataura said.
“For example, this squad is probably the most balanced in a very long time. We have always struggled with our forwards, but I think this squad has some very good forwards that can compete with the best of them,” he added.
“We have also had the privilege of having the new Sables coach, Peter de Villiers holding two sessions with the squad.”
Chataura arrived on the scene at a time when the local game was in shambles after administrative failures plunged the Union into turmoil negatively impacting on results across the board, from development sides to the Sables.
A businessman in his own right, Chataura’s vision for sport includes a return to an Under-21 league that in the old days provided school boys with a platform to showcase their talents before promotion into the senior sides. The league also allowed schoolboys to interact and train with senior players and sometimes national team players as soon as they joined a club.
“My vision is to have the Under-21 league resuscitated. This is only way to measure the development of young players and mark their improvement and progress from schoolboy rugby to club and hopefully pro rugby. This league will also ensure that we have an even larger pool of competitive players to choose from,” said Chataura.
Chataura revealed that when he was appointed, he was immediately seized with trying to get sponsorship for the nder-20 national. He said in the beginning it was difficult to convince the corporate world to partner with his committee because of all the negative publicity that the Union has been subjected to in recent months. — @AllanFoti
