Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo
ZIMBABWE Rugby Under-20 men’s team coach Shaun De Souza says the Nedbank Grassroots to Greatness programme, which was launched in October last year, is starting to yield results.
De Souza was speaking to Mega Clips Media at Harare Sports Club, where he explained that the programme, which is part of the pathway to the Junior Sables team, not only helps upcoming players secure national team call-ups but also assists them in pursuing careers outside Zimbabwe.
“We are creating a depth pool for the senior Sables team and the Cheetahs. Players graduate to the senior set-up, which is a bonus for our programme.
“But there is more to it, it’s not just about the players who make the final Under-20 squad.
“The players in the high-performance programme also receive opportunities. A lot of them have secured university scholarships and gone to the USA, UK, and South Africa on rugby scholarships through the programme.
“So, I think the programme has done well and will continue to improve,” said De Souza.
The Grassroots to Greatness programme was conducted across all provinces in the country, with De Souza and his team scouting for the most promising junior players to incorporate into the High Performance Programme.
He said it is a two-year plan where they are also looking to empower provincial coaches who have already built relationships with the players.
“The plan behind this was also to empower our provincial coaches.
“To give them insight and opportunities to develop players within their own systems.
“Players and coaches having their own relationships within their provinces is what we were trying to capture. I think it worked well, from the holistic programme we undertook.
“It was about identifying any potential. It wasn’t about picking the cream just yet, we just wanted to identify those born in 2005 and 2006 for this year’s programme and next year’s programme.
“It’s a two-year plan, which is why we then opened it up so wide,” he said.
The Nedbank Grassroots to Greatness Programme is an initiative that came up after attending the Cape Town Conference with World Rugby for the Stronger for Longer Programme, aimed at African countries’ development pathways.
At least 220 players were initially selected before it was trimmed down to 110.
“We selected 220 players and then cut it down to 110. So, we are working with 110 players at the moment,” said De Souza.
