The Zimbabwe rugby national team has a new head coach in the form of Peter Devillers. A noble move made by the Zimbabwe Rugby Union. Many rugby lovers in Zimbabwe have shown lots of excitement which is expected due to the current state of The Sables. Though this is positive, many questions about the Union remain unanswered. We do have a qualified coach now, who has great experience and has previously coached the mighty Springboks. After all said and done the question is, will Peter Devillers experience go hand in hand with the talent and structures we currently have in Zimbabwe? The coaching problem might have been fixed but has the player problem been solved? Has the Union made the game professional enough for the Sables to thrive? Or we have just acquired a high breed horse and tied it to a carriage with no wheels? The Zimbabwean rugby system is probably the same since independence and needs a serious overhaul. Changing the coach is not necessarily fixing it. Quality coaches usually thrive in conducive environments, they usually complement strong and effective systems in place. Take for insane the current coach of the All Black, Steve Hansen. His success has been attributed not only to his excellent coaching style but it has been complemented by solid supportive structures devised by the New-Zealand Rugby Union.
If one is to ask any under 9 coach currently coaching in any of our primary schools what the national team requires in terms of skill? No one could answer that question including the Union. Even if you are to ask what financial support should be availed for the development of rugby as a professional sport from grassroots? Still no one could answer that question. According to Wikipedia (2018) professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. This means, high performance athletes' must be paid because it is their livelihood. The moment our sporting leaders understand that poverty can be broken by putting a price tag on sport as a profession, it's the very moment our national teams will attain success. A new coach in the form of Peter Devillers will not make our problems go away overnight, but a full proof system complemented by a world class coach will bring millstone success. Let us work extra hard to fix our system.
Kommentare