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Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa

Sports Reporter
VETERAN coach Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa has described Churchill’s decision to host an Under-14 national schools rugby festival as a “very good and progressive idea” that requires a lot of support. Churchill recently tabled a proposal to the Zimbabwe Rugby Union where they indicated that they want to have a national XVs Under-14 schools rugby festival, an event that could be the next biggest schools’ rugby jamboree, next year.

By so doing, they have become the first school in Zimbabwe to propose holding a junior rugby festival at Under-14 level. It’s the first initiative since the Zimbabwe Under-14 national team started taking part at the Craven Week festival in South Africa. Murambiwa feels the festival will not only help the coaches and selectors but give the juniors more game time and exposure prior to both the Craven Week festival and the selection period.

“That is a very good and progressive idea. However, the whole country has to be involved so you need a good provincial representation with all school involved,” said Murambiwa.

At the moment, the biggest schools rugby XVs festival in Zimbabwe is Prince Edward’s annual Dairibord Schools Festival that draws at least 100 teams each year, including some foreign schools.

There is hope that the Churchill project could turn into one that is just as big as the one that is held at Prince Edward. “Well, if it was (to be) supported to the same value as the Dairibord Schools Rugby Festival, then you will get a nice return on Craven Week too. “I think we need to look at it from the perspective that it will give more games to the juniors concerned so exposure is the most important aspect before we get to selection,” said Murambiwa.

The country is represented by the Under-14s and Under-18s at the annual Craven Week Festivals in South Africa. The Under-17s take part in the Grant Khomo festival in the same country. “It would also be good if this exposure we are talking about gets more progressive so that from Churchill’s Under-14 festival, players will go on to play at the Under-17s at the Dairibord Schools Festival instead of having the Under-16s,” said Murambiwa.