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Brighton Chivandire

Paul Munyuki Harare Bureau
FORMER Cheetahs’ coach, John Ewing, has bounced back into the Sevens rugby structures as assistant coach to newly-appointed Daniel Hondo. Nsikelelo “Sykes” Sibanda and Grant Mitchell could be the Sables’ assistants.

Hondo resigned from Sevens rugby over a year ago and was quickly roped into the Cheetahs structures as assistant coach by the Zimbabwe Rugby Union who indicated they were grooming him to be the next Zimbabwe Sevens coach.

Hondo, who turns 33 next month, was one of those who applied for the coaching job, emerging as the favourite, and at the end of last week chose to work with Ewing —who was player coach prior to 2007 — as his assistant.

Ewing, a former Cheetahs and Sables centre, has worked with Hondo before as he was the same man who guided the then schoolboy Hondo into senior rugby at Harare Sports Club and in the Sables camp.

However, early this week Hondo saw it necessary once again to call on the services of the man who helped in turning him into one of Zimbabwe’s top players of his generation, captaining the Sables and being vice-captain in the Cheetahs.

Sibanda is one of the people who had applied for the job as the Under-20 coach, hoping to continue where he had left, but Brandon Brider landed the job.

The ZRU has concluded and sealed a deal with Ewing but are understood to be in talks with Mitchell, Sibanda and support staff for the Under-20s and the two women’s teams.

Yesterday, ZRU director of rugby Brighton Chivandire told our Harare Bureau that they were done with the Cheetahs but were still negotiating with some of the coaches for the respective national teams.

“Yes, we are done with the Cheetahs but in some of the technical teams there are one or two persons that we are waiting for as they have the right to consult with their families, colleagues and friends.

“Not a single name has so far been submitted to the executive committee because of these negotiations but once we are done with these then we will submit all the proposals of the technical teams at once.

“We are looking at a positive response once we submit these names to the board but you never know,” said Chivandire.

The trio of Sables coach Cyprian “Supa” Mandenge, Mitchell and Sibanda are expected to make a formidable combination as records show that they are the best coaches to have emerged from local rugby over the last few years.

Over the last six years, the National Rugby League title has changed hands among these three coaches.