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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter

THE newly elected Bulawayo Metropolitan Rugby Football Board (BMRFB) has instituted an audit for the period 2017 to 2019 in a bid to cleanse its image and rekindle interest in the game.

The board will also terminate the Hartsfield Tshisa Nyama contract to ensure the venue reverts to being solely associated with rugby.

Craig Change, the BMRFB chairman, said the move they have adopted is in line with upholding good corporate governance.

“Our desire is to see more partners coming to the sport of rugby and to do so, we have to be compliant with corporate governance tenets. We’ve engaged auditors to work on our books, which we will make public. We’re doing this to show that we mean business and want to be transparent,” said Change. 

“Corporates want to deal with people who uphold corporate ethos. It is through partners that we can achieve our goals to develop rugby from grassroots level, have the sport played in all corners of the province. We want to reclaim our slot as the rugby powerhouse and have more of our boys playing for national teams, but that can only be done through working together.” On shutting down the popular Tshisa Nyama, Change revealed that it has been operating illegally without a licence.

“We got a letter from the (Bulawayo City) council notifying us that they don’t have a licence. We want the facility to be solely for rugby, and as such, we will be shutting down the Tshisa Nyama.”

Change and his board are likely to ruffle feathers by closing the Tshisa Nyama, as they’re reportedly influential people with vested interests in the joint.

Change has also recommended that board members capacitate themselves by attending a Sports and Recreation Commission-administered course.

“We’ve engaged the SRC to organise a course for all board members so that we’re all apprised of latest developments. Officials from clubs, Nash, Naph and other organs will be invited to the course because we want everyone capacitated for the good of rugby,” said Change. Meanwhile, players identified during the Under-21 league which kicked off last weekend and will run for seven weekends will compete in a challenge cup against their Harare counterparts during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

“Our coaches will be identifying players during the competition to compete against Harare province during Trade Fair. We’ve deliberately set the challenge for that period to capitalise on businesses that will be in town. We will be exhibiting the game to the business community,” said Change. – @innocentskizoe