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at the beginning of next month.

Zimbabwe will be taking part at the week-long festival for the second time, having first participated last year, winning two of their three games under the coaching duo of Doug Trivella and assistant Sebastian Garikai in Johannesburg.

And this year the Zimbabweans will have to watch one of their own player  for the Sharks who are one of the most prestigious rugby franchises in South Africa following a scholarship that was facilitated by Kisset Chirengede’s Kyros Sports management company.

“I’m so proud of the boy, he is a humble lad who puts his head down and works hard,” said Chirengede.

“He has a great head on his shoulders, a great mum who supports and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer child.

“Him playing for the Sharks proves that Zimbabwe consistently churns out these talented athletes who even prove competitive in foreign land and it’s an endorsement on our game as a nation.

“The future looks bright for young Kudzai, the boy can go as far as he wants to. He takes his faith seriously and I believe that’s something that gives him extra fuel.

“So we are excited to see how far he goes.”

The former St Johns College Under-14 center joined the Sharks Academy at the beginning of this year but he is not the first player Kyros Sports have identified and put on a scholarship.

Their most successful story so far is Cheetahs’ youthful forward Tapiwa Tsomondo.

Chirengede added that there are few chances of losing such players to South Africa as their scholarship agreements state that they should be available to play for Zimbabwe if and when called for national duty.

Some of the Zimbabwean players also at the Sharks junior academy include Lloyd Mudzvova (Dale College vice-captain) and Kuziva Kazembe who started slow at Northwood Boys but has made steady progress to maintain a place in the team at scrumhalf.

We plan to have more trials and tests for players between August and December because a few more schools (from South Africa) have approached us but we endeavour to match the right athlete with the right school so as to make sure that this talent comes back to benefit Zimbabwe.

“Tapiwa Tsomondo and Lazarus Chisaya both availed themselves for the Under-20s in the middle of the school term last year and Lloyd Mudzvova, who is also in this year’s Under-19 side, and it seems to be working.

“South African academies naturally expedite one’s development because of the superior facilities, more specialised coaching, dietary programmes and just the exposure itself and Munangi has gym sessions in the morning but in Zimbabwe, I don’t know any Under-16 team that does that.”

The England-based Chirengede added that they have managed to raise their profile and wish to see the sport grow in less privileged societies where he feels there is a lot of talent going unnoticed.

“We also want to see the sport becoming a social infusion tool in the rural areas and high density suburbs and that’s something we are working to introduce in the coming months and we have a few projects we are busy negotiating with foreign teams.

“We have had huge responses through our Kyros Sports web-page and also on Facebook and my hope is that in five years time we should be a very influential player in the nation’s sport.

“Our collective desire is to see our (Zimbabwe) game grow to where it’s supposed to be so we are hopeful and prayerful that this comes through.

“This will not only be good for the sport but the country as a whole as it will help in the rehabilitation of our image and how the world views us,” said the former Watershed College student.