VOLUME 5 January Issue, 2011

THE TACKLER
Official ZRU Newsletter

2010 At a Glance

Zimbabwe Sevens - George HSBC Zimbabwe Women’s Sevens - Zimbabwe Zimbabwe U19– Confederation of
World Series Shield Final Champions Invitational Cup Final Champions African Rugby Champions

Rugby had it’s richest rewards in 2010, more so than in any Finals. The inaugural Victoria Cup also meant additional
other year this past decade. An expanded calendar and a matches as they took on past enemies in Uganda and
resurgence in the participation and interest in this Kenya. This tournament has been granted official IRB Test
wonderful game meant the talent was being showcased to Match status and will take place every year form 2010.
a wider audience. With an expanded season the Team has a platform from
which to grow and establish itself back on the
The Sables finally had a National Calendar which saw them
International map. Much will be expected of Brendan
host and win their Africa Cup Pool C, thus qualifying for the
Dawson and his charges in 2011.
The Cheetahs continued to fly the flag high as they
participated in the IRB World Series, IRB Satellite and
Inside this issue: Regional Tournaments. With the aim of blooding new
recruits to expand the player base, whilst being
competitive, the team was able to achieve this. They
The Muppets 2
equalled the record of most Cup Final wins of 4
(consecutive) by a single team at the 2010 Castle Sevens
in Zambia, and they narrowly lost out to a
ANSA Awards 2
Commonwealth Games bound Springbok 7s Team in the
Cup Final of the Platinum International Sevens in South
Player Profile 2 Africa. The George and Dubai legs of the HSBC World
series allowed the team to beat 4 professional teams in
Scotland, Argentina, USA and at last, Kenya. The win
Lost Icons Return 3 Hararians were the perennial front runners, with a revived
against Kenya gave them the title of Shield Champions.
The National Women’s Rugby team added more
2011 Calendar 4 tournaments to their season. This saw them participate in
the Castle Sevens in Zambia, the Middleburg sevens in
An ever improving U20 team went to Russia to play in the
Junior World Rugby Trophy. A final win against Papua
New Guinea after narrow losses to Japan, Russia and
Canada showed resilience and fight. Subsequent to this
tournament the next group who competed as the U19’s
won the Confederation of African Rugby tournament
after beating Namibia for a second successive year. This
has qualified them for the U20 JWRT in Georgia this
coming May.
The Craven Week teams from the U14 and U18 age groups
were as always competitive in South Africa. Schools rugby
as a whole is the most competitive of Zimbabwe Rugby’s
local structure and the 20 000 strong crowd at the Cottco
Schools Rugby Festival is evident of the strength and
popularity of the junior talent. The Cottco festival is
officially recognised as the biggest schools rugby
tournament in the world.
Local Club Rugby under the National Rugby League was
once again a competitive environment. Local power
houses District Dragons, Harare Sports Club and Old
Busters outfit proving their worth with a strong
challenge.

Sables Fundraiser
Advertise in The Tackler
4
South Africa and host their own successful Banc ABC
Invitational Tournament which they won. The win over
“2011 will be a big year
arch rivals Zambia was their first ever win over a team for Zimbabwe Rugby”
that has been a dominant force for some years.
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 Official ZRU Newsletter

The Muppets

With an average age of 79 years and 3 months
and a combined 175 years of involvement with
Zimbabwe Rugby, Eric Caldecourt, Allan
Donald and Mike Whiley are widely considered
the longest serving members to any Rugby
Union in the World.
Despite their age, they can see and hear and
are regulars at the Mashonaland Rugby
Referees Society (MRRS) meetings whereby
they assist with administrative causes,
functions, coaching and assessing of new
recruits...they endeavour to look wise whilst
doing it!
‘Wishbone’ Caldecourt first joined the Gweru
Rugby Club in 1953 as the teams premier
choice hooker before moving to Harare
where he joined the MRRS and has been a
member continuously for 53 years! Over these
years he has been Club Chairman, Secretary,
Referee Selector and is now an Honorary
President. He also served as President of the
Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Society and sat on
the Mashonaland Rugby Board from 1986-91.
‘Spike’ Whiley’s initiation into Zimbabwe
Rugby was as a player in Manicaland for the
then Old Borderers Club from 1955-63. In 1986
he joined the Manicaland Referees Society
before being transferred to Harare and joining
the MRRS. Bar his absence in the years 1984-93
as Plumtree School Headmaster, Spike has
been a loyal MRRS since his induction. On
return to the MRRS he was duly awarded his
Refereeing Colours and subsequently took up
the post of ZRRS Chairman where he was
responsible for initiating the Overseas
Exchange Program which allows local referees
to officiate in Regional Fixtures. Spike is now
an Honorary Member of both the
Matabeleland and Mashonaland Rugby Boards
and now devotes his time to coaching senior
and junior level referees in Zimbabwe.
Eric ‘Wishbone’ Caldecourt, Jonathan Kaplan, Allan Donald and Mike ‘Spike’ Whiley
In 1949 Allan Donald played for Technical Zimbabwe Rugby pays tribute to ‘The
against Chaplin as the curtain raiser to the Muppets’ to what is surely the most
Rhodesian 10-8 win over The All Blacks at commendable life of service to our game,
Hartsfield . The following year he joined and perhaps unparalleled in the history of
Harare Sports Club before transferring to African Rugby and comparable anywhere
Alexander Club to be with his mates. else in the world.
Some 30 years later he was still donning
the cork togs for the odd game. In 1976
he joined the MRRS and amazingly only
stopped refereeing once he had turned
70! Due to his loyal commitments to the
MRRS, Allan was last year awarded with a
commemorative tankard on his 8oth
birthday.

ANSA and Rugby

National Sevens Captain Jacques Leitao and U20 representative
Charles Jiji accepting their Team of The Year Awards
The 16th of December saw Zimbabwe Rugby stake it’s
claim for the third consecutive year as the premier
team sport in Zimbabwe. The U20 team won the
Zimbabwean Team of The Year with the National
Sevens Team taking third place. The U20’s won this
accolade in 2009 and the Sevens Team in 2008.
The success of both teams, as a brand and with results
not only on a regional scale, but a global one bears
testament to the strength of rugby within the
Zimbabwean Sporting Community. Both The Cheetahs
and the U20’s have continued to map the way forward
for Zimbabwe Rugby and the rewards are justified.
No rugby player would ever contest for Sportsman
and Sportsperson of the year award at the Annual
National Sports Awards for the simple reason that an
individual in a team sport stands out as a result of the
effort and success of the team as a whole.
U20’s Coach Brighton Chivandire was again a nominee
for Coach of The Year but lost out to the Zimbabwe ‘A’
Cricket Coach. Chivandire’s success this year has
surpassed his previous achievements. He recently
qualified as an IRB Level 3 Coach and took the local Club
side District Dragons to their second Club Championship
Title.
His U19 Team were for the second successive year
crowned African Champions after denying Namibia yet
another opportunity. The U20’s, under Chivandire, who
competed in the 2010 Junior World Trophy in Russia will
now take part in the 2011 tournament in Georgia in
May.

Player Profile—Daniel Hondo

Age: 28
School: Churchill High School
Hometown: Harare
Club Team: Harare Sports Club
Weight: 94kg
Height: 180 cm
Teams Represented: Zim U19,Zim Sables,
Zim Cheetahs
Position 7’s: Play Maker/ Centre
Position XV’s: Centre
Favorite Food: Chinese
Favourite Venue: Hong Kong Stadium
You played for Churchill High School in
Harare. Was rugby your passion then? I
was actually scared of the game so I did
not want to step onto a rugby field. I was
more a cricket player or footballer. I was
forced to play the game by my cricket
coach, the late Mr P Sharples and my
Headmaster, the late Mr D Mutsekwa.
They wrote a letter to my parents saying
that I was to start playing rugby because
my hand-eye co-ordination was good.
That’s how I started.
Are you planning to stay involved in
rugby when your career is over?
Definitely, rugby is part of my life. I
would love to give back to rugby, I have
learned a lot so far in my career and I
think I could be of benefit to those
aspiring to play the game. I recently
qualified as an IRB Educator for Strength
and Conditioning and am currently the
Zimbabwe Women’s Rugby ‘A’ Coach.
You’ve scored tries on the IRB Sevens
World Series. Which one stands out? The
one I scored in the Hong Kong leg of the
2008 Sevens World Series against
Australia. I thought it was a good solo
effort. I actually shocked myself.
fresh and new when in training so you are always
Who do you rate as your toughest learning.
opponent in Sevens and in XV's? In 7s it
would be Wales. We’re always up for the How are your personal preparations going for the
game but they always seem to beat us
coming season? I’ve played so much rugby this year
not sure what happens. In XV’s I would
say Madagascar. You know it’s going to that after the club finals I took a break before
be a dirty game but really hard rugby. resuming training for the HSBC World Series.
Currently I’m in a rest phase and will try to be injury
You’ve worked with many coaches, free going into 2011 so that I’m strong and
which ones stand out for you? I would
able to perform to the best of my ability.
have to say my Sevens coach Liam
Middleton, he always has something

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 VOLUME 5

Lost Icons Returning

Truth is, Zimbabwe Rugby’s greatest challenge is retaining it’s own

talent. It’s in our own backyard but other nations are benefiting from
our resources, our manpower, our natural rugby goldmine. Had we the
opportunities to provide sound nurturing grounds for them Zimbabwe
Rugby would be posing a far greater threat on the global stage at all
representative levels. Our Nations own history had it’s destructive Tendai Mtawarira - The Sharks and Peter Dixon - Bath and Barbarians Brian Mujati - Northampton and
sporting intervention. Far too often have we seen another National South Africa (Prop) (Hooker) South Africa (Prop)
Age Group representative take to the field adorning foreign armour.
Why not the Star and Bird? It’s become too common of late.

Churchill, Prince Edward, Peterhouse, Midlands Christian School, St.

Johns, Vainona High, Marondera, Bulawayo, Gweru, Harare have all
contributed. This language is Zimbabwean and shouldn’t be used or
understood by Australians, South Africans, Americans and the United
Kingdom alike. These players are local...home grown...but now
considered refined talent beyond the Zambezi.

Four ex-Peterhouse scholars alone have gone on to represent other

countries. Scott Gray and David Denton for Scotland and ‘The Beast’
alongside Brian Mujati for the Springboks. Only this past season has
Scott Gray retired from professional rugby but the others remain fully
involved at the highest level. Every player pictured right is currently or David Denton - Edinburgh and David Ewers - Exeter Chiefs David Pocock - Western Force and
has played professional rugby in the past 4 years. Players such as Scotland Sevens (Lock) (Lock) Australia (Flank)
Mtawarira, Mujati, Denton, Gray and Chavhanga represented
Zimbabwe Schools with Mujati playing for the Zimbabwe U21 XV’s
team soon after. Current Bayonne player in the French Top 14, Ziegler
recently represented the Zimbabwe Goshawks 7’s team in 2008 before

?
moving to Europe and Italy in particular. Only Kenny Tsimba went on
to represent Zimbabwe, captaining both the 7’s and Xv’s during his
reign as the countries premier stand off. This ‘team’, bar the absence
of a foreign scrum-half (WOW!), would threaten many Nations on the
field, but the reality is a mutated one, and it hurts.

Is the future nothing but a European rain cloud, Zimbabwe Rugby can
respond with an emphatic no! In recent weeks players like Tonderai
Chavhanga and Kenny Tsimba have made contact with Zimbabwe
Rugby to become more involved in the game. Former Zimbabwean
National team mates Douglas Trivella and John Ewing are currently Scott Gray - Northampton and Bob Skinstad - The Sharks and Scrumhalf
Scotland (Flank) South Africa (8th Man)
proposing their involvement in assisting with the growth of the game.
Springbok icon Adrian Garvey has played his part this year in
developing the game through Garvz Academy, lets hope his aims are
to reach more than a handful and that home grown remains just
that...home grown. Gary Teichman has vested interests in the proposal
of a Bulawayo based rugby academy, and the return of Scott Gray as
Sports Director at Peterhouse is testament to the adage of ‘life is a
circle’...they are coming home.

With the rise of the National U20 Team in recent years, the bridge
between schools and senior rugby is closing. This competitive age
group has provided the missing piece to the gap between junior and
senior rugby that has existed for the majority of the last decade. It
allows aspiring national players to continue representing their country
as opposed to getting lost in the system of another Union. This is often
Kenny Tsimba - The Cheetah, Cats Tonderai Chavhanga - The Lions and Nils Mordt - England Sevens
the case of young players hoping to make it somewhere else.
and Bulls (Flyhalf) South Africa (Wing) (Centre)

Recent U20 players and now Zimbabwe National Sevens graduates

Tafadzwa Chitokwindo and Justin Coles have made a stance as
talented junior players and Zimbabwe Rugby knows that many like
them will follow suit in choosing to play for Zimbabwe. Their
commitment to Zimbabwe Rugby will go a long way in recruiting the
future, the future that will represent Zimbabwe on the International
Stage and at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Garth Ziegler - Bayonne Takudzwa Ngwenya - Biarritz and Thom Evans - Glasgow Warriors
Page 3 (Centre) USA (Wing) and Scotland (Fullback)
 THE TACKLER

The 2011 Calendar

All dates are provisional: WOMEN’S RUGBY

 Nelspruit Sevens 2 - 9 October (SA)
SCHOOLS
 Castle Sevens 6 - 7 August (Zambia)

 St. Johns 7s 1 - 2 April
Zimbabwe International Sevens 11 - 12 November

 Cottco 2 - 7 May  Middleburg Sevens 16 - 17 September (SA)

 National Trials 27 - 28 May
U19
 CAR U19 Tournament 13 - 20 August (Zimbabwe)
U20
 Junior World Trophy 25 May (Georgia)
 Safaricom Sevens 16 - 17 November (Kenya)
 Zimbabwe Invitational 15 October
 HSBC Dubai Sevens 2 - 3 Decmber (UAE)
 CAR South Region Tournament 29 - 30 October
 HSBC George Sevens 9 - 10 December (SA)
(Botswana)
NATIONAL XV’S
NATIONAL SEVENS

 HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 25 - 27 March (HK)

CLUB RUGBY
 Sevens Summer Series 28 February, 5 / 12 March

National Rugby League starts 1 April
 Challenge Cup starts 4 June
 Africa Cup Division One 6 - 13 June (Uganda)

 Victoria Cup June - July
Castle Sevens 6 - 7 August (Zambia)
 Middleburg Sevens 16 - 17 September (SA)

 Rustenburg Sevens 1 - 2 October (SA)

The Zimbabwe Rugby union in conjunction with the Sables

are in the process of raising funds for the National Team. Sables Fundraiser
Funding has always been a stumbling block but the desire
to compete cannot be held back.

With an increasingly competitive National Calendar for CONTACT DETAILS:

2011, the Sables will be playing 10 Test Matches. This is a
major step forward in the progress and development of
the National Team.
ZIMBABWE RUGBY UNION
Should you wish to buy a raffle ticket for $50.00 or sell a
Harare Sports Club
booklet on the Teams behalf, please contact the Union
Offices. You will stand the chance of winning a brand new Cnr Josiah Tongogara / 5th St
Nissan NP200 which will be drawn on Friday 28th January,
Tel: +263 4 700 283
2011.
E-Mail: rugby2@mweb.co.zw
Your support and assistance will be greatly appreciated.

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