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tournament next week, the corporate world have expressed confidence in the side.
According to Under-20 administrator Colleen de Jong, 10 local companies have jumped onto the Young Sables ship chipping in with playing kit, training kit, medical insurance cover and cash.
The Young Sables have been drawn in Pool B where they face Japan, Canada and hosts Georgia and are expected to leave for the tournament on Thursday.
Zimbabwe will be representing the continent for the second time at the junior tournament after beating Namibia, also for the second time in a row, in the Junior Africa Cup that serves as the qualifiers for the global showcase.
Over the past three weeks the Young Sables have been very busy with the preparations under the guidance of the technical team led by coach Brighton Chivandire, assistant Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa and manager Tunga Mashungu.
The travelling party was announced on Thursday night at Prince Edward school following a training session with the Tigers and there were no major changes to the provisional squad.
However, the Young Sables will tomorrow take time off their busy schedule and are expected to enjoy a game of golf and on Tuesday night will have their send-off dinner and kit presentation ceremony at Amanzi.
“Among the companies that have come to help us are AMI Hospitals, Interfin, and Seed-co who are also among the biggest sponsors we have this year,” said de Jong.
“AMI Hospitals have given us the medical equipment and insurance that will not only cover the players during the tour but for the rest of the year as we will also host the Africa Cup in July.
“We learnt from last year when our player got injured in Russia and we are confident with the deal we got from AMI because it is required that all players must have a Zimbabwean medical aid first.
“Seed-co and Interfin also chipped in with playing kit, travel kit and practice kit while CFX Travel covered our ticketing and travel logistics.
“Other companies that have helped the side in their preparations include Velvetea Petroleum, Tetrad, and EFE Holdings.”
The administration, team led by chairman and former Sables winger Aaron Jani, also managed to retain some of their sponsors from last year, among them Savanna Tobacco.
The administration also includes treasurer Edwin Gumbo with Rufaro Zengeni and Jeannine Bryant handling the marketing side of the team.
“We have been sponsored by a number of corporates that include Pro-Fitness and Country Club gyms where all the locally-based players were having their gym sessions.
“This sponsorship is really very important because it shows the willingness of these companies to give to the communities they come from and it is also a sign of confidence in junior rugby in Zimbabwe.
“Such support also makes the boys work hard both on and off the field and given that we are going for the JWRT the support would not have come at a better time.
“We appreciate this support and we believe that it will go a long way in helping the team raise Zimbabwe’s flag high when we travel for the tournament,” said Jani.
Last year the Young Sables finished seventh at the world tournament but Chivandire believes that his side has the potential to finish as one of the top teams this year.
Their opening game will be against Japan before playing hosts Georgia and will round off their Group B games with a date against Canada.
Five of the players in this year’s squad, including captain Marco Mama, Charles Jiji, Tatenda Karuru, Takudzwa Mandiwanza and Takudzwa Jaravaza, are expected to steady the ship as they were also part of the side that toured Russia last year.
“It takes a lot of hard work to bring together the best pool of players as most of them will be at universities abroad and have to be brought in to participate in the tournaments.
“Because players come from different regions it is also difficult to have selectors watch most of the (school) games the players will be taking part in so we have had to employ talent scouts in the respective regions.
“I also have to give credit to the technical team led by Rick Kershaw as head of technical and head coach Brighton Chivandire for the roles they play in the team and together we have been working so well.
“The working relationship between these two teams has been brilliant and we have received a lot of support from the Zimbabwe Rugby Union president and staff,” added Jani.
Chivandire said they were ready to make an impression.
“To us the good thing about this draw is that we are not going to play the hosts in the opening game of the tournament and this gives us an opportunity to see how they play before we take them on.
“We get to know the environment and crowds they are capable of drawing when they are at home since rugby is one of their biggest sports.
“Playing Japan in the opening game after we drew against them last year actually puts pressure on us in the sense that little separates us.
“They believe that they would have won the game last year and they have their daggers drawn and I felt we had a chance and were good enough (to have won the game) but all of us being there means we are all good teams.”
Last year Japan and Zimbabwe drew 20-20 and this was the only group game that the Young Sables were not beaten as they also suffered a 6-22 defeat at the hands of Canada.
“I am happy this will be the first time that we are going to play Canada in the second game of the tournament as well because in the past we have opened against them,” said Chivandire.
“Again we are also going to get a chance to study them before playing them because in the previous years we would get to pay without knowing or seeing how they play.”