Peeved Sables threaten to quit

Sport
BY ALBERT MARUFUSTORM is brewing in the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) as senior Sables players have threatened to withdraw from the game in protest of the way rugby is being run in the country.

The players, who held a crisis meeting with the chairman of the committee responsible for the Sables, Dumi Moyo, at Harare Sports Club on Thursday evening, accuse ZRU of not giving them the recognition they feel they deserve.

Most senior players who attended the meeting felt that ZRU had left everything in the hands of the sub committees, which run the respective national teams from Under-19 to the Sables and are considering quitting the game.

The team’s captain, Costa Dinha confirmed that the players had a number of grievances, which they tabled to the Sables franchise chairman Moyo.“We had a meeting with the president of the Sables committee, Moyo and we all agreed that all is not well at the moment. There is a great need to relook at the way rugby is being run in the country. I feel that ZRU is not doing enough to cater for all our national teams. Even Dumi concurred with us,” he said.

Moyo could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered.Senior player, Prayer Chitenderu — a veteran of 56 Sables caps — said there were a lot of people at the moment that were getting into the sport, not because of the love of rugby but for what rugby has brought to them.

“I have more than 56 caps for the Sables and know how it feels to play for nothing and be forgotten. It pains me to see that the sport is being run by people without a vision.

“Whenever the team is playing in the International Rugby Board World Cup qualifiers, everyone wants to be involved because they know there are prospects of getting money,” he said.

Chitenderu added that he is owed money from games played last year and no word has come from the Sables committee as to when he will receive the money.

“We are used to playing for next to nothing, but all we want is some recognition from the nation. We have won the Victoria Cup and also qualified for Africa Cup Group 1A.

“Currently I am owed US$1 200 and no one is telling me when I will receive it. Zviri kungotsikwa-tsikwa. (They are skirting the issue). I can tell you that right now, most of the players are disgruntled. Against Kenya we had to stage a sit in to get part of our money.

“The Union is not doing enough to market our players and people recognise the face of Springbok captain John Smit more than our captain Costa (Dinha),” he said.

After yesterday’s meeting, the players were promised that Dinha and Moyo would meet Youth Economic Empowerment and Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere with a view of meeting the President Robert Mugabe.

The president recently gave the Under-19 team US$50 000 after winning Junior Africa Cup when they presented the trophy to him.

The Sables are also looking forward to a meeting with the President where they would also present him with the Victoria Cup which they won after beating Uganda and Kenya. The Sables have participated in all their scheduled matches for this year.