Deputy Ministers Hon. Kudakwashe. Mupamhanga (5th from left), and Hon. Emily Jesaya (6th from left) together with Mwana Group CEO Dr Kuda Mutenda (2nd from left) and the Festival organisers at Prince Edward High School in Harare on Tuesday.
By Dickson Bandera
From April 28th to May 4th, 2024, Zimbabwe will host the eagerly awaited Mwana International Rugby Festival at the prestigious Prince Edward High School in Harare, where a plethora of sporting and family-friendly activities have been lined up.
After a hiatus of five years, the festival has been revived by Mwana Group, the new sponsor who is promising a grand week-long spectacle featuring over 170 matches from over 3 000 athletes, live performances by Zimbabwe’s top musicians, free training clinics, jumping castles, braai and various other entertainment options for all ages.
Mwana Group, a renowned automotive specialist company in Zimbabwe has taken over sponsorship of the Rugby Festival with an initial deal stretching to 2028.
Over 120 teams are slated to participate, including representatives from primary and secondary schools, premier and emerging rugby schools in Zimbabwe, international touring teams from Africa, Asia and Europe, universities, girls teams and national senior teams who will battle it out for honours.
President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Cde. Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa will confer awards to the winners at the Prize Giving and Closing Ceremony on May 4th. The presence of the highest office on land adds prestige to the event, with other cabinet ministers scheduled to attend various days throughout the week-long festival.
An experienced organizing team, comprising seasoned sports events managers, is overseeing preparations, which are well underway.
This international festival is poised to elevate rugby development in Zimbabwe, providing players from diverse backgrounds with the opportunity to showcase their skills before large audiences.
The festival enjoys the support of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union, an affiliate of the Sports and Recreation Commission, and World Rugby.
Free rugby courses will be offered to about 500 people during the festival with every province contributing 50 participants.
Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development, and Vocational Training, Hon. Kudakwashe Mupamhanga, and Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts, and Recreation Hon. Emily Jesaya recently attended a preparatory meeting at Prince Edward School in Harare, where they received updates on preparations and an overview of the festival.
In his remarks, Hon. Mupamhanga, a former rugby player for Kutama College, emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the festival, aligning it with the national development agenda. He underscored the unifying role of sports and stressed the importance of the festival in uplifting the sport in the country.
“Sport is more than just kicking a ball around, it is a means of development and it has other issues that it touches such as diplomacy.
“When international teams come, it’s a form of diplomacy, that when we come together for sporting events, we find ways of increasing bilateral ties,” he said.
“Apart from being a deputy Minister, I am a Member of Parliament for a rural constituency, and sports like rugby we would like to see them played in the rural areas. For all we know there are children who are talented enough to make it.
“What is also important about this festival is that it is supporting grassroots. We cannot have a national team if we don’t have grassroots sports, and for us to see Zimbabwe Rugby play it starts from schools then to clubs and national team.
“So this festival allows us not only to spread the sport to areas where rugby is not played right now but also to increase the pool from which Zim Rugby national team can pick players who represent our country,” added Hon Mupamhanga.
Deputy Minister Hon Jesaya commended Mwana Group for reviving the festival and urged organizers to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism to capitalize on the opportunity to promote Brand Zimbabwe, especially to foreign teams participating in the festival. She also emphasized the need to ensure that the environment is drug free.
She also thanked Prince Edward School for maintaining a vibrant sporting culture and infrastructure which gives various players an opportunity to pursue their arts and sporting dreams. She said the school is top when it comes to supporting sporting activities.
Since its inception in 1986, the festival has enjoyed sponsorship from various companies over the past 38 years. United Bottling Company kickstarted sponsorship, followed by David Whitehead Textiles, Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, and Dairiboard Zimbabwe, which held the reins until 2019.
Mwana Group CEO, Mr. Kudakwashe Mutenda, highlighted their comprehensive partnership with stakeholders in private and public security, catering, sports events management, and healthcare which will ensure an incident free festival.
He also said organisers will seize the opportunity to launch a robust campaign against drug and substance abuse, implementing anti-doping measures and deploying sniffer dogs to ensure a drug-free environment during the festival.
With over 100,000 attendees expected over seven days, and an estimated online viewership of over 1,500,000, the festival promises widespread engagement and is poised to become Zimbabwe’s premier sporting event.
Key Dates:
- Monday, April 29 – Opening Ceremony Guest of Honour: Prof. Amon Murwira
- Wednesday, May 1 – Family Day Guest of Honour: Hon. Tino Machakaire
- Friday, May 3 – Tier 2 Prize Giving Guest of Honour: Hon. Kesty Coventry
- Saturday, May 4 – Official Closing Ceremony & Prize Giving Guest of Honour: The President of Zimbabwe H.E. Cde. E.D. Mnangagwa
