MATABELELAND NORTH PROVINCE RUGBY FOOTBALL BOARD

  1. The Matabeleland North Rugby board is a Zimbabwe Rugby Union affiliate, headquartered in coal rich Hwange town, a stone throw distance from one of  the Worlds Seven Wonders, the majestic Victoria Falls.  It is home to the Hwange Diggers Rugby Club that has churned out Zimbabwe Sables players such as Royal Mwale, David Kapuya among many others.  The province shares it’s borders with countries like Zambia, Botswana and on the Caprivi Strip  with Namibia and inland the province shares its borders with Bulawayo, Midlands, Matabeleland South and Mashonaland West Rugby Provinces. The Matabeleland North Rugby boasts of five rugby teams with three men’s teams and two women teams based in Hwange and Victoria Falls. The teams are:
1. Hwange Diggers Rugby club men
2. Hwange Diggers Rugby club women
3. Victoria Falls Trojans men
4. Victoria Falls Red Bulls men
5. Victoria Falls Red Bulls women

The Rugby board Executive led by Madam Octavia Chikukura has embarked on an ambitious project to grow the game of rugby in the province on several key fronts. The board is on a drive to capacitate it’s ranks with competent and qualified personnel to anchor the development drive. The board has set out to rehabilitate existing rugby infrastructure and-has encouraged more and more developmental initiatives at grassroots through strategic partnerships with corporates and Tag rugby trust.

The Mat North rugby board chairperson Mrs Octavia Chikukura said as their goals for 2021 going forward and they would like to;

• Increase and improve their existing partnerships in terms of rugby funding by at least at least 30% and getting sponsors for rugby teams in Mat North.
• Develop and up-skilling our match officials in the province from coaches, referees and medical through through acceptable and recognized courses.
• Introduction of rugby to schools and tertiary institutions especially those that are out of Victoria Falls and Hwange but within our province.
• Organizing more friendly games to give our players the necessary exposure and experience.
• Increase the number of girls and ladies playing rugby atdifferent age grades and who eventually make it into the national team: We are deliberately focusing on women’s rugby as our niche
• Substantially increase the number of games played within the province and if funding permits to travel to other provinces within our region like Bulawayo Metropolitan province and Midlands province.
• Have a talent, identification and development programme within our province for both officials and players as we are a province that is still developing.

The Matabeleland North Rugby Board Executive Committee is made up of :

Chairperson:  ​​​Octavia Chikukura

Vice Chairperson: ​​Sean Zvitete

Secretary:  ​​​Augustine Sibanda

Treasurer:  ​​​Tinashe Vakisai

NASH Rep:  ​​​Butholethu Sibanda

NAPH Rep:  ​​​Patrick Ngwenya

Committee members:​​Frank Nyoni

​​​​Luckmore S Pangiso

​​​​Byron Maphosa

​​​​Tanaka Vambe

@ZRU Media