The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
FS Raiders’ Under-20 rugby women’s side kicked off their Paramount Garment League title defence by registering a convincing 34-nil win over Harare Sports Club at Old Georgians Sports Club yesterday.
It was a one-sided affair, largely dominated by the defending champions, who simply outclassed their opposition in every facet of the game.
While likely disappointed that they could not score more, FS Raiders scored six tries, with scrumhalf Rufaro Takagariravo planting down four of them, while Marylyn Mukondiwa and Kuziva Gonangombe chipped in with one each.
Takagariravo added to her tally with two conversions to finish the game with 24 points.
With the league having been delayed by a week, FS Raiders were back in the field in the afternoon, this time, to face a determined Zimbiru Rugby Club from Domboshava.
It was a tightly contested match that saw FS Raiders losing by a seven-point margin as they succumbed to a 17-10 defeat.
“We started on a high note and the girls played the way we wanted them to play.
“Unfortunately, we lost our second game, which I would say was a tight match, and it gave us an opportunity to see which areas we need to work on as we focus on defending the title,” said FS Raiders manager Tatenda Chitewe.
With FS Raiders senior team set to tour South Africa at the end of the month, albeit in the Sevens game, Chitewe said they will pick players from the Under-20 team.
“We are using these league matches to select players who will join the senior squad for our tour in South Africa for the Sevens tournament at the end of the month.”
Chitewe also revealed that the plan is to make their mark in the region, starting with the tour to Cape Town.
FS Raiders have in the last two years won the Zambia Independence Cup and now seek to extend their dominance south of the Limpopo.
“As the defending champions of the Zambia Independence Cup, our target is that we extend our dominance to South Africa, where we will be playing a Sevens’ tournament,” added Chitewe.
FS Raiders were formed in 2016 as an academy.
Their main focus was promoting rugby among girls.
They became a fully fledged club in 2019.
