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Brandon Moyo, Brandonmalvin9@gmail.com
ALL the six men’s clubs invited to the 2025 Bulawayo Metropolitan Rugby Football Board (BMRFB) Under-20 league have confirmed their participation ahead of the season’s commencement, which is scheduled for January 25.
Preparations for the development league, which serves as the traditional rugby season opener, are in full swing. Five Bulawayo-based clubs and one from Gwanda are submitting their names for participation.
In the 2025 edition of the league, defending champions Old Miltonians (OMs) will face the challenge from Matabeleland Warriors, Highlanders, Bulldogs, Panthers and Matabeleland Lions from Gwanda. While all the men’s clubs have confirmed their participation, in the women’s division, only Panthers, Highlanders and Bulldogs have affirmed their participation.
The invited schools are yet to be confirmed.
Speaking to Zimpapers Sports Hub, tournament director George Hlatshwayo, said they expect schools to confirm their participation by the end of the week, adding that they are ready to get the rugby season up and running.
“Preparations are at an advanced stage, all local clubs have confirmed participation. We are now waiting for schools to respond and we are expecting them to confirm by Friday since they only opened on Tuesday. We are now ready to get the games going. Field preparations are at an advanced stage,” said Hlatshwayo.
The first half of the league games will be played on the Hartsfield Rugby Grounds B Field since the main field is undergoing maintenance.
Hlatshwayo said that they are expecting a highly competitive tournament with all teams bringing their A-game. He added that the league plays a crucial role in helping school teams prepare for the season ahead.
In addition, it is the platform for the youngsters to put their hands up for Junior Sables contention.
“This tournament will be used as a platform for our Under-20s to showcase their skills and raise their hands for national team selection. We are hoping to invite the Junior Sables’ technical team to come down this side and witness our boys showcasing their talent.
“This league will also be used by the participating schools as preparation for their schoolboy calendar to try out new combinations. For the past few years, schools that have been in this league have gone on and performed well during the schools calendar,” said Hlatshwayo.
The schools that were invited are Christian Brothers College (CBC) Hornets, Milton Elephants, Petra Spartans, Gifford Stingers and Founders High School.
After the conclusion of the Under-20 league, the Archer Clothing Rugby League is set to get underway soon after with OMs also starting the season defending champions after beating Warriors in an enthralling final last year. —@brandon_malvin
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