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Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
HWANGE Diggers Rugby Club in Hwange is appealing for financial assistance to revamp the sports pavilion rugby pitch and also buy a playing and training kit.

The team’s coach Octavia Chikukura made the appeal on the sidelines of a training session in Hwange on Wednesday.

“Our club is appealing to companies and well-wishers to assist with resources to enable us to revive rugby which was once popular in Hwange. Our pitch is in a sorry state. We need a pump and motor for watering the field.

“We need to also construct toilets and changing rooms. A lot of work needs to be done on the field before we can start playing,” said Chikukura.

The club which remains optimistic, continues to train with senior players devoting time to train youngsters.

“We have been training over the years hoping that resources to work on the grounds will be found. We regularly organise games with teams in Victoria Falls and Livingstone in Zambia. Some senior players are busy coaching in the primary schools tag rugby league which ends tomorrow with top two teams going for the nationals to be held later at a date and venue to be advised,” she added.

Mabinga, Lwendulu, St Ignatius, Thomas Coulter, St Georges, Ingagula, Coalfields, Megawatt and Nechibondo primary schools participated in the tag rugby league.

Efforts by Chikukura and senior players like Bernard Ncube to nurture future stars resulted in Hwange based players Dion Kamwendo and Kabelo Mpofu forming part of the President’s Seven side, one of Zimbabwe’s three select senior teams at last weekend’s Kwese Victoria Falls Sevens rugby tournament.

Youngsters Sydney Nyathi, Joseph Ndlovu, Resistance Befura, Agreement Shoko, Brandon Tshaka, Cephas Sibanda and Allian Sibanda also featured at the tournament under the Hwange U-19 developmental side.

Chikukura is a former winger for the national women’s rugby team, the Pangolins, having played from 2007 to 2014.

— @tobymandox