Zimbabwe Rugby Union has sent a youthful ‘Goshawks’ squad to represent them in Kampala when they face the Uganda Rugby Cranes during the 2022 Victoria Cup. Goshawks is Zimbabwe’s official non-test select side, an equivalent of Uganda A or the Uganda Barbarians of old.
Coached by Shaun de Souza on interim status, the squad for the Victoria Cup is laden with U-20 lads in all departments both on the starting line-up and the substitutes. De Souza was the head coach in April when the U-20 national team went unbeaten to win the Rugby Africa U20 Barthes Trophy in April.
Fifteen of the twenty-three travelling players featured at that tournament in Nairobi, Kenya. These include joint-top try scorer Tanaka Gondo-Mukandapi and captain Takudwa Musingwini, who also featured at the Rugby Africa Cup in France with the Sables senior squad later in July.
Zimbabwe Goshawks Squad for 2022 Victoria Cup:
- Starting: 1 Farai Madzima, 2 Tawanda Banda, 3 Nqobile Manyara, 4 Simbarashe Siraha, 5 Tanaka Gondo-Mukandapi, 6 Tanaka Ndoro, 7 Tendai Chinyama, 8 Tamuka Kambani, 9 Panashe Zuze, 10 Ben Pattenden, 11 Liberty Sibanda, 12 Alex Nyamunda, 13 Carl Kawodza, 14 Tavonga Ablant, 15 Takudzwa Musingwini (captain).
- Substitutes: 16 Takunda Mudzingwa, 17 Marlon Guwuriro, 18 Martin Hakunavanhu, 19 Andrew Rinomhota, 20 Denzel Maramba, 21 Tanaka Ndabambi, 22 Brendon Marume, 23 Tawanda Matipano.
The bench has been shaped in a 5-3 split as it was in the U-20 Barthes Trophy final when they had to hold off a resurgent Namibia to win 19-14 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The contingent is expected to touch down at Entebbe International Airport just before midnight on Friday.
The match will kick off at 4 p.m. EAT at Legends Rugby Grounds in the capital Kampala.
[Source: Sportscast Zimbabwe]