FS Raiders Women’s rugby team capped their debut entire season in rugby by winning The Sables Chickens Sevens trophy when they beat Police Defenders Women at Old Georgians Sports Club in Harare on Saturday.
FS Raiders are yet to lose a tournament that they have taken part in, having won the Zambians Tens Independence trophy, Exide Sevens trophy, and now they have added the Sables Chickens Sevens trophy to their trophy cabinet.
It was not a walk in the park against Police Defenders who have been on the receiving end against Raiders in all the local tournaments. However, they were more determined than ever before.
The tension within the Raiders dugout could be felt each time Police thwarted their raids.
The two teams went to halftime level at seven all.
Raiders scored the second try of the match a few minutes after the restart by failing to make the conversion.
The Raiders’ success wasn’t going to be determined by winning Sables Sevens, but the girls were just so determined to end the season on a high. They fought hard in defence as if their lives depended on it.
At 12-7, it was still anybody’s game. All the Police Defenders needed was converted and were champions.
Unfortunately, they failed to take their chances, and with virtually the last play of the match, the Raiders scored a converted try to win the match 19-7.
When winning is a culture, you always find ways of winning even if you are not your best or if your best doesn’t yield the desired result. That’s what Raiders did, and the scoreline was slightly more flattering in the end.
The ever-smiling FS Raiders captain Chioniso Mabika paid tribute to Police Defenders for raising their game and making it difficult for her team.
“It was actually tougher than the Zambian games, Police Defenders women raised their game, but we knew that we had the game, and here we are holding another trophy. We knew what we came here to do, and we did just that.”Mabika told Entersportnews
Mabika has led her team from the front, scoring crucial tries in big matches in what has been a perfect season for the club. She was crowned Harare Province Women’s rugby player for the season for her efforts and remains modest about her leadership skills and plays down all her achievements, putting everything down to teamwork.
“When it comes to leading the team, it is teamwork. Maybe sometimes I have to be in front, but it’s all their input that makes us a better team,” she said.
Being the new kid on the block, Raiders has raised the bar on how the women’s game is played in the country. How hard is it to maintain these lofty standards?
“It is a bit hard; every time we are at training, we have a new target that is higher than the one we had before, we don’t rest on our laurels, but we keep pushing,” said Mabika.
With the new Covid-19 variant on the prowl, Saturday games are probably the last rugby games to be played this year.
However, Raiders said they are working on their six-year plan, becoming the best Women’s rugby side in Africa by 2025, but they have lost a year or two due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are still working towards becoming the best team in Africa.
We have to go back and come back stronger seeing how Police raised their game. We have to go and raise ours even further and make sure we are on track to become a rugby powerhouse in Africa.” added Mabika.
