ZIMBABWE Rugby Union (ZRU) has written to the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) seeking clearance to resume the national rugby league next month.
In the proposal, ZRU wants both men and women’s rugby to be played in two groups, Northern and Southern groups, to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Harare, Manicaland and Chitungwiza teams will play in the Northern group whilst the Bulawayo and Midlands will play in the Southern group. The leagues will run concurrently.
The top two teams from each group will play in the semi-finals and finals in a city yet to be determined.
Defending Champions Old Hararians resumed training last Thursday. Their captain Tichafara Makwanya is cautiously optimistic about the return of the local league and felt strange when they resumed training after a long layoff.
“It’s good to be back though we still have it in the back of our minds that it could be called off at any time,” Makwanya told EnterSportNews.
“It was quite strange to be back (in training), but I’m sure very soon we will be back to our usual best.”
Makwanya is bullish about OH’s chances of defending their crown.
“We still have the arsenal to win the league again. It will take a bit of time to get back to performing at our best because of the long layoff,” he said.
In 2010, the Sables won Africa Cup on the back of a strong National Rugby League, and ZRU has gone an extra mile to mobilise resources and personnel to make sure Zimbabwe qualifies for the 2023 World Cup to be held in France.
However, Makwanya is of the opinion that Zimbabwe’s World Cup dream can only be realised if there is a functional National League.
“The local league ideally is where we should be picking the bulk of Sables. Traditionally the Sables have done well when the local league is up, and firing and local players make up the bulk of numbers,” added Makwanya.
Local rugby has remained inactive since the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, and rugby being a contact sport did not help matters with the over-cautious SRC.
In the proposal, ZRU wants to start with a Sevens Summer series and ease into Fifteens rugby.
