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Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Under-18 coach Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa says selectors for the Craven Week rugby national side will revert to the old system where teams play on an inter-provincial basis.Last year the format was such that players from different provinces were merged to come up with a team, inter-changing the backline and the forwards several times.

But Murambiwa yesterday said they will go back to the traditional selection format.

In the traditional format, games will simply be played on complete inter-provincial basis where each coach will be responsible for the side they bring at the national selection trials set to take place at Falcon College this year.

“After getting feedback from the respective provinces at the school’s annual general meeting, indications were that it is better to play as a province for the duration of the selection period because there is a lot of pride in playing for a province and also for provincial records.

“When provincial teams are picked, coaches work on various combinations, skills and team building efforts in preparation for the national selection and it is such values and technical awareness we also need to uphold.

“We are going to have six teams at the national trials this years and these are two from Harare, Matland, Country Districts and the Central Region will all have a team each and we will also include the developmental squad that was picked at the Dairibord Schools Rugby festival ,” said the former Young Sables coach.

This year, Murambiwa will be assisted by Cheetahs and Old Georgians scrummy Graham Kaulback, who replaced Brandon Brider, after he was named as the new Zimbabwe Under-19 and Under-20 coach early this year.

Kaulback was part of the 2008 Under-18 Craven Week side that was coached by Murambiwa, a team that included the likes of Charles Jiji and Tafadzwa Chitokwindo who all went on to play for both the Young Sables and the Sables.

Kaulback, is the current Hellenic coach.

According to Murambiwa, the provincial trials will be held on the 16th of this month while the national trials are expected to take place the following weekend in Esigodini with the players expected to hold their first training camp on June 13.

This year’s edition of the Craven Week will be held in Stellenbosch, South Africa, with Zimbabwe set to take on Griquas Country Districts in their opening game, the rest of their fixtures will be determined on how they do in the first game.

After selecting the squad, the players are expected to meet on Sunday in their respective provinces and will be training in Harare (under Kaulback), Falcon College (Brendan Finch), at Peterhouse in Mashonaland East, Hillcrest in Mutare, Lomagundi College in Mash West and at Kyle College in Masvingo.

“These are the high performance centres that have been set up so that players train before we meet for the final camp and we will also be going around the country to monitor players because in the past we have had incidences where players would not talk or reveal that they are injured.

“We will also be working closely with the Zimbabwe Rugby Union because we have to confine to a certain brand of national rugby as directed by (director of rugby) Bright (Chivandire) from the Under-13’s to the senior side.

“I also believe that the link that is existing between our teams will also work to improve the national sides for example that we have Under-20 and Under-19 coach Brider as an Under-18 selector helps in the growth of the game,” said Murambiwa.

There are, at least, seven players who were part of last year’s Under-18 Craven Week side that are still in the schools system and are eligible to play and these include the likes of Campbell Nyakudya of Falcon, Shaun Snyder, Angus Bruce, Brian Mutanga and Ackim Sibanda.

“Add these to a number of players that were part of the Under-17 last year the I believe we are going to have a very experienced side if they all rise to the occasion and make it for the Under-18 side,” added Murambiwa.