The emergence of the Marondera Pythons Rugby Football Club.

MARONDERA PYTHONS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

In days gone by Marondera then known as Marandellas used to be a rugby powerhouse and contributed players into the national team set up.

Marondera boasts of some of the top schools in the country with a very rich rugby playing history such as Peterhouse, Watershed, Marondera High, Ruzawi, Lendy Park and most recently Wise Owl. The schools in Marondera can beat any school team on any given day but that has not transformed rugby in Marondera to a powerhouse in the club scene and national landscape. Why is it so many ask? The answer is simple most of these schools are boarding schools and the players come from all parts of the country and play great rugby for their schools and then return to their homes leaving Marondera without impactful rugby structures.

This is going to be a thing of the past if efforts by Ambrose Sakala and a group of rugby enthusiasts are anything to go by. Sakala was recently part of the spirited revival efforts of Masvingo Rugby. He recently changed base to Marondera and has already stuck his teeth in growing rugby in the Mashonaland East capital town of Marondera.

Sakala and other rugby enthusiasts formed the Marondera Pythons on the 1st of February 2022 with a group of rugby enthusiasts and since its inception the club has played two away games against highly fancied opposition, the University of Zimbabwe Stallions and Southern City.

The club was one of the teams which were called to play at the Wise Owl Mashonaland East Rugby Festival competition which had been scheduled for the 18th of March but was cancelled by the hosting team. The Club has been requested by the University of Zimbabwe Stallions to loan some of its senior players to join them in the Harare Senior Premiership League commencing on the 23rd of April until the 9th of July 2022.

In exchange the Pythons club will have the benefit of playing against every second team to the team University of Zimbabwe Stallions will be playing every weekend. This is meant to give the club the much needed game time and experience.

Marondera Pythons 🐍 home ground is located at the Mashonaland East Provincial Agricultural Show grounds where one of the club trustees is stationed. The club is currently mainly composed of an under 21 team with a few senior guys who are over 21 years of age.

Sakala said “…We look forward to having a Senior and ladies team and we are currently recruiting all those interested in playing rugby to come and join us and grow Marondera rugby.”

In light of the clubs vision to become a leading rugby club in Marondera and impact the national rugby landscape, the club is asking corporates and individuals to assist them procure training equipment of balls , kit, cones, tackle bags, ruck shields.

The club would like to also embark on countrywide tours and International tours as a way of incentivizing players to play for the pythons.

Below is a list of the equipment and other expenses which the club is in need of assistance for, fromcirporates and philanthropic organizations.
1. Transport to and from games every particular game day.
2. Jerseys (T-shirt, a pair of shorts and long socks).
3. Rugby balls for training and use on game day.
4. Rugby movable posts (3).
5. Field maintenance.
6. Post padding.
7. Tackling bags and Rucking bags (for training safety).
8. Kit bags (3).
9. Whistles (3).
10. Training Bibs (20).
11. Training cones (30).
12. First Aid kit
13. Ambulance fees (when hosting games)

All the sponsored equipment will be branded in the sponsor company’s name and we will have banners pitch side and any form of advertisements at our home field by the Mashonaland East Provincial Agricultural Show grounds.

The pythons 🐍 want to one day dominate the rugby landscape in the country and are asking for assistance to advance their cause.

The club has 2 trustees Mr Choga and Mr IK Sakala

The interim Club President is Ambrose T Sakala.