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Brandon Moyo, [email protected]

NEWLY appointed Zimbabwe senior men’s rugby national team head coach, Pieter  Benade, has said one of his major targets at the helm of the Sables will be improving the lives of rugby players in the country. 

Benade was appointed as the new man in charge of the Sables a couple of weeks back, replacing former national team player and captain Brendan Dawson. 

In an interview with the Cape Town-based Southern Mail newspaper, Benade said he hopes to use his new role to uplift the lives of rugby players in Zimbabwe, where rugby hasn’t been that popular in the past few years despite producing a number of world-class players, who have enjoyed success on the global stage.

He said his other objective was to create a Sables team that would bring pride to all Zimbabweans. 

“Besides my contractual KPIs of developing Zimbabwe Rugby and succeeding on the pitch, I want to look after the social upliftment of locally-based players, while striving for rugby excellence nationally, delivering to Zimbabwe, a team of                                                                              which they can be proud,” said Benade. 

The 42-year-old gaffer, who is a former Western Province and Pumas pivot has been on the Zimbabwe coaching panel over the last two years as a back line coach and assistant to Dawson. 

Benade had playing stints in France and South Africa and added that he will use the experience he garnered there as inspiration in his new challenges. 

“I learnt a tremendous amount at False Bay, dealing and playing with Reserve League players whose primary aim is participation only, while at first teams of clubs and schools, you mix in a high-performance element into the environment. I have learnt so many lessons over 13 years at the Bay that  can be transferred to what my new goals and challenges are,” he said.

Benade is best remembered in Zimbabwe as a magnificent playmaker for Harare’s Prince Edward Boys High School, around the turn of the millennium.

After his playing days were over, Benade ventured into coaching in Cape Town, where he coached at Rondebosch Boys High School and at the False Bay Club.

On  his return home, Benade has been an assistant coach to outgoing Zimbabwe head coach Dawson.

He has also coached local club giants Old Hararians.

In international rugby, Benade earned  just a handful of caps for his country, as first-class rugby in South Africa took centre stage at the peak of his career.