Opinion / Columnist
Why the Prince Edward School Rugby Festival Must Be Saved
6 hrs ago | Views
Appeal to all Rugby lovers,
The cancellation of the 2025 edition of the Mwana Group (Prince Edwards School) Rugby Festival formerly known as the Cottco Schools Rugby Festival has struck a heavy blow to Zimbabwe's sporting landscape. As a proud Old Boy of Prince Edward School, and someone who understands what this festival means not just to our school but to the entire country, I am deeply concerned by this turn of events. Frankly, whatever the reason behind the decision cancellation, the ramifications of losing what is widely recognised as the largest schools rugby festival in the world are too great to ignore. This is not just the loss of a tournament. It is a step back for schoolboy rugby, youth development and the heritage of Zimbabwean sport.
The Prince Edward Rugby Festival has long stood as a shining symbol of excellence and opportunity. Hosting hundreds of teams from Zimbabwe and beyond, it has earned global recognition for its sheer scale, diversity and competitive standard. At its peak, over 200 schoolboy teams competed annually, a logistical marvel and a celebration of talent at every level.
Many of the sport's greatest players, including World Cup players, once sprinted across the grass of Prince Edward School during their teenage years. These athletes who later led their nations to glory were once just promising schoolboys, handed a chance to shine on a stage like no other.
Zimbabwean rugby has been enriched by this pipeline of talent. The national team, the Sables, has benefited directly, and so too have regional clubs, international scouts and institutions offering rugby scholarships. To halt this progression now is to turn off a tap that has long watered the fields of promise.
This festival represents far more than competition. It is a space where discipline, teamwork, resilience and camaraderie are forged. For many young people particularly from underprivileged backgrounds the festival is a rare opportunity to gain exposure, recognition and sometimes, life-changing opportunity.
It is a space where rugby acts as a leveller, bridging gaps between private schools and public institutions, rural communities and urban centres. Cancelling this event denies hundreds of schoolboys the chance to be seen, mentored and uplifted. In a country where youth unemployment remains a challenge, such platforms are invaluable.
Reports suggest that negotiations between Mwana Group and Prince Edward School collapsed due to disagreements over financial terms. Allegations have also emerged of outstanding commitments by Mwana Group from previous festivals, including a $3,500 unpaid sponsorship for a 2023 school rugby tour and unfinished infrastructural work, such as a promised perimeter durawall.
While such issues deserve careful review and resolution, it is disheartening that they have led to the cancellation of an event of such national and international significance. These disputes must not be allowed to derail an institution that has served thousands of players and brought prestige to Zimbabwe.
What is needed now is mediation, not abandonment. The festival cannot be allowed to disappear over financial or administrative challenges. We call upon All Prince Edward Old Boys, especially Willard Muchena, Zimbabwean corporates, regional businesses, international partners and rugby-loving benefactors to come forward and lend their support.
We encourage major brands, telecom companies, beverage firms and banks to consider what this festival has done for youth development and national pride. Sponsorship does not just fund a sporting event it fuels dreams and strengthens our national identity.
Further, the Ministry of Sports, along with the Zimbabwe Rugby Union, must play an active role in finding a sustainable solution. Hosting the event at Prince Edward School has long worked well and it should be held there as a tradition.
Yes, mistakes may have been made. Promises may have gone unfulfilled. But Zimbabwean rugby has come too far to let this setback become a permanent scar. Let this be the moment where stakeholders regroup, reconcile and recommit to a shared vision for the sport and the youth who power it.
The 2025 festival should be salvaged or even under new organisational leadership. What matters is that the spirit of the event lives on, that the flame of opportunity is not extinguished.
This must not be a missed opportunity for young people, for Zimbabwean sport, and for national unity. We must not let this cherished tradition fall by the wayside. Instead, let us rally together, protect what we have built over generations and ensure that the future of Zimbabwean rugby continues to be written one young player at a time.
Let the legacy live on. Let the games resume. Let the whistle blow once more.
Please share this to all the rugby lovers.
Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
The cancellation of the 2025 edition of the Mwana Group (Prince Edwards School) Rugby Festival formerly known as the Cottco Schools Rugby Festival has struck a heavy blow to Zimbabwe's sporting landscape. As a proud Old Boy of Prince Edward School, and someone who understands what this festival means not just to our school but to the entire country, I am deeply concerned by this turn of events. Frankly, whatever the reason behind the decision cancellation, the ramifications of losing what is widely recognised as the largest schools rugby festival in the world are too great to ignore. This is not just the loss of a tournament. It is a step back for schoolboy rugby, youth development and the heritage of Zimbabwean sport.
The Prince Edward Rugby Festival has long stood as a shining symbol of excellence and opportunity. Hosting hundreds of teams from Zimbabwe and beyond, it has earned global recognition for its sheer scale, diversity and competitive standard. At its peak, over 200 schoolboy teams competed annually, a logistical marvel and a celebration of talent at every level.
Many of the sport's greatest players, including World Cup players, once sprinted across the grass of Prince Edward School during their teenage years. These athletes who later led their nations to glory were once just promising schoolboys, handed a chance to shine on a stage like no other.
Zimbabwean rugby has been enriched by this pipeline of talent. The national team, the Sables, has benefited directly, and so too have regional clubs, international scouts and institutions offering rugby scholarships. To halt this progression now is to turn off a tap that has long watered the fields of promise.
This festival represents far more than competition. It is a space where discipline, teamwork, resilience and camaraderie are forged. For many young people particularly from underprivileged backgrounds the festival is a rare opportunity to gain exposure, recognition and sometimes, life-changing opportunity.
It is a space where rugby acts as a leveller, bridging gaps between private schools and public institutions, rural communities and urban centres. Cancelling this event denies hundreds of schoolboys the chance to be seen, mentored and uplifted. In a country where youth unemployment remains a challenge, such platforms are invaluable.
Reports suggest that negotiations between Mwana Group and Prince Edward School collapsed due to disagreements over financial terms. Allegations have also emerged of outstanding commitments by Mwana Group from previous festivals, including a $3,500 unpaid sponsorship for a 2023 school rugby tour and unfinished infrastructural work, such as a promised perimeter durawall.
While such issues deserve careful review and resolution, it is disheartening that they have led to the cancellation of an event of such national and international significance. These disputes must not be allowed to derail an institution that has served thousands of players and brought prestige to Zimbabwe.
We encourage major brands, telecom companies, beverage firms and banks to consider what this festival has done for youth development and national pride. Sponsorship does not just fund a sporting event it fuels dreams and strengthens our national identity.
Further, the Ministry of Sports, along with the Zimbabwe Rugby Union, must play an active role in finding a sustainable solution. Hosting the event at Prince Edward School has long worked well and it should be held there as a tradition.
Yes, mistakes may have been made. Promises may have gone unfulfilled. But Zimbabwean rugby has come too far to let this setback become a permanent scar. Let this be the moment where stakeholders regroup, reconcile and recommit to a shared vision for the sport and the youth who power it.
The 2025 festival should be salvaged or even under new organisational leadership. What matters is that the spirit of the event lives on, that the flame of opportunity is not extinguished.
This must not be a missed opportunity for young people, for Zimbabwean sport, and for national unity. We must not let this cherished tradition fall by the wayside. Instead, let us rally together, protect what we have built over generations and ensure that the future of Zimbabwean rugby continues to be written one young player at a time.
Let the legacy live on. Let the games resume. Let the whistle blow once more.
Please share this to all the rugby lovers.
Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
Source - Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
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