The Zimbabwe Rugby Union is under fire after Lady Sables players reported receiving minimal allowances and were forced to return team kits following their recent tournament.
By Sports Reporter Zimbabwe senior women’s rugby team players are disgruntled after receiving meagre allowances from the Zimbabwe Rugby Union after their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division One tournament in Ivory Coast, which lasted a week and ended on Saturday.. Lady Sables arrived back in Zimbabwe on Monday, receiving US$150 allowance per player as remuneration for their efforts.. Other than giving the team meagre allowances, Zimbabwe Rugby Union asked all the players to return the
national team’s tracksuits they were wearing.. ZRU’s Threats To Players “We were told by president Losson Mtongwiza that playing for the national team is more of volunteering, so we should not expect any money from the union; rather, we are lucky to be getting US$150 allowances.. “So they forced us to surrender the tracksuits in order to get the US$150 allowances, so one was forced to surrender the kit first before being given the money..
“The union then threatened us not to post on social media, saying that this would drive away sponsors, and they even said that those who would not cooperate would be banned from playing rugby,” one of the players told New Zimbabwe.com.. She added,” We had to pay US$35 each for the national green blazers.. “At first, we were told our money would be compensated, but that never happened.” Lady Sables’s troubles started before they left
for the Ivory Coast.. New Zimbabwe.com has it on good authority that the newly appointed coach, Nsikelelo Sibanda did not travel with the team to Ivory Coast because they could not meet his required allowances.. The team had to be led by assistant coach Takudzwa Ngirazi during their campaign.. Efforts to get a comment from Zimbabwe Rugby Union were fruitless.