The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema – Sports Reporter
THE Dairibord Schools Rugby Festival, formerly known as the Cottco Rugby Festival, has put the country firmly in the limelight.
The annual competition, hosted by Prince Edward School, is regarded among the biggest schools rugby competitions in the world.
Since inception in 1987 the festival, whose 2015 edition runs from April 27 to May 2, has helped bring to the fore the country’s unpolished rugby gems.
Starting off as an elite school gathering made up of 12 of the country’s premier rugby-playing schools, the festival has grown in leaps and bounds over the years and today attracts over 183 schools.
The country’s top rugby pundits and coaches hail the festival’s impact on the growth of the sport as Zimbabwe celebrates 35 years of Independence.
“While in the beginning it was a simple pre-season tournament that gathered some of the country’s top rugby-playing schools, it has since grown to be something much more,” said Sebastian Garikai, the festival’s director.
“It has been instrumental in the growth of the sport, reaching rural and developing schools and colleges which ordinarily would have never played the sport.
“If you ask any player or aspiring player their goals, odds are it would be to one day play and represent their school at the festival,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by former Craven Week coach Brighton Chivandire, who highlights the festival’s role in nurturing some of the country’s top Sables and Cheetahs players.
Current stars who passed through the festival include but are not restricted to the likes of Lenience Tambwera, Stephen Hunduza, Tangai Nemadire, Gardner Nechoronga, Tichafara Makwanya, Gerald Sibanda, Charles Jiji, Kudakwashe Chiwanza and Tafadzwa Chitokwindo.
Springbok Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira is the festival’s most famous son.
“The festival has grown to be a fantastic opportunity for players and aspiring players to either showcase their skill or excel and get noticed as evidenced by the number of players who passed through it and went on to feature for the country’s senior squads, the Cheetahs and Sables.
“It’s been also instrumental in raising the development and appeal of the sport.
“So many players have come through the festival and gone on to achieve bigger and better things, but it’s not only on the field of play that the festival’s best success stories have been told.
“The festival runs numerous programmes concurrently with the games and it has been very vital in moulding more rounded individuals either through the educational or awareness programmes. I believe their work in anti-doping awareness should be lauded also,” said Chivandire.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union general manager Sifiso Made said the festival has been instrumental in spreading the game to all corners of the country.
“We have been part and parcel of the festival from the very onset, sanctioning it initially but being more hands on as the festival has grown over the years.
“It (the festival), has made our work much easier, and I cannot stress that enough, playing an instrumental role in spreading the game to all corners of the country,” he said.
