By Brian Goredema in Zambia
FS Raiders Women’s rugby team were crowned champions after beating Leopardesses five-nil in the Zambia 10s Challenge Cup final, played at the Showgrounds in Lusaka, Zambia on Saturday.
The Harare based club were making their debut appearance at the annual tournament and did not disappoint. Their brand of rugby won them the support of the partisan raucous Zambian crowd, which was rooting for their home teams.
In the group stages, the day started brightly for Raiders as they made light work of city rivals, Harare Sports Club, hammering them 43 nil in a one-sided affair.
In a very physical game, they upped the tempo in the final group match against Leopardesses, especially at the breakdowns.
Leopardesses drew first blood with a well-worked out move scoring the first try of the match, and the conversion was successful.
Raiders hit back immediately after their forwards bullied the opposition and set up Delight Mukomondo, who crossed over the whitewash for the Raiders’ first try.
Mukomondo failed to convert to leave the Raiders still trailing 7-5 at the break.
Raiders continued from where they left before the break with their first raid after the breather resulting in a try, the mercurial captain Chiwoniso Mabika scoring her second try of the tournament and Mukomondo’s conversion giving Raiders a 12-7 lead.
The referee was spoiling a good match as he made very dubious calls against the Raiders. He did not blow against Leopardesses when they put hands in the ruck but penalised Raiders for the same.
The match official also did not blow for offsides and other basic infringements on the home team. It was a mess.
Leapardesses spent the last three minutes of the game camped in the Raiders’ half, but the Harare based team remained resolute in defence.
Just when Raiders women thought they had done enough to win the game when the timekeeper signalled the end of the match- the man in the middle of the park had other ideas as he continued with the match despite there being three infringements after the buzzer.
Leopardesses eventually crossed over the whitewash to win the match 15 – 12. Heartbreak for Raiders who had won many hearts. The girls cried, and their coach Lissy Wasarirevu, a qualified Referee, gave the match official her piece of mind.
The team had to pick themselves up from the disappointing defeat, and they lodged an official complaint with the organisers.
Raiders played the hosts Red Arrows in the first semifinal, and it was another cracker of match. The tournament debutants were quick out of the blocks. Mabika once again led from the front with a try right under the post, making it easier for Mukomondo to add the two points.
Raiders went to the breather leading 7-0. Red Arrows being an army side were very physical, but Raiders matched them pound for pound.
Arrows eventually hit back with a converted try of their own, and it was game on. Both teams had chances to win the match, but their structured defence ensured the game finished seven.
There was confusion on the next set of actions to determine the winner. There was talk of playing sudden death, but the stadium Announcer said that the Raiders had qualified for the final by scoring the first try in the match according to tournament rules. The Raiders technical team invaded the pitch to join their players as they celebrated, and this time, you could see tears of joy streaming down their cheeks.
The final was a grudge match between Leopardesses and Raiders. The former tried to prove that they did not need the Ref’s assistance to win the tournament, whilst the latter wanted to prove that Leopardesses stood no chance against them with good refereeing.
The final was played under floodlights, and once again, Mabika showed that her appetite for tries had not diminished a single bit as she scored her fourth try of the tournament and the most important one.
Raiders controlled the match, thereafter thwarting every move by Leopardesses. When Raiders kicked for touch after the buzzer, their revenge mission was complete, and the Independence Challenge Cup was heading to Harare. Mabika’s unconverted try proves to be the difference in the final.
The other Zimbabwe representatives in the women’s category, Old Georgians, were unlucky to miss out on a semifinal berth after losing one game and winning the other. All teams in their group won one match apiece, and it came down to points and margin of defeat, knocking out OG’s in heartbreaking fashion.
