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Ellina Mhlanga-Senior Sports Reporter 

HARARE Province Rugby got a shot in the arm for the on-going season after Paramount Garments announced the Paramount Garments Rugby League 2023 sponsorship contract with the province in Harare yesterday. 

The sponsorship deal is an extension of the initial partnership from 2019-2020, which was affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

The sponsorship deal covers the Harare Province Under-20s and Seniors Leagues. 

Paramount Garments’ exports finance director, Jeremy Youmans, said the sponsorship is an opportunity for them to give back to the community. 

“This sponsorship deal is an extension of the initial partnership from 2019-2020, which had largely been inactive during the Covid-19 shut down period. 

“We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of rugby in 2023 as the work that has been put into the sport by Zimbabwe Rugby Union, Harare Province Rugby, clubs and various stakeholders requires continuous support to ensure consistency in the delivery of the sport.

“It also gives us an opportunity to give back to the local clubs and communities that support our business by not only providing the much-needed financial backing, but also creating a platform for further enhancement of the sport through player interaction and skills enhancement at matches,” said Youmans. 

Youmans said despite the disruptions to the partnership due to the Covid-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021, they re-looked at the deal last year and continued working with Harare Province Rugby but outside the formal agreement. 

He noted that the sponsorship contract for 2023 marks their first year under the formal agreement and the partnership will run until 2025.

“So we got off to a bit of a false start then because we only got one year before the two-years of Covid restrictions.

“So we then relooked at it again last year, had the partnership working but outside a formal agreement and how we would really plan to do things.

“So this is our first year under the formal agreement we will have with a much expanded game. We are looking at a 115 games already across the year.

“And really about just trying to develop from a base the rugby talent that we can have in this country, showing to the rest of us how it can be a family sport, and how we can get back in playing regularly on the international stage,” said Youmans. 

Although he did not reveal the specific total amount of the sponsorship for the period, for the first year they are looking at around US$50 000 and can go up to US$80 000.

“It depends on how successful we put up these tournaments because it’s purely incremental like that… So as we go to the next year, we expand next year and have more tournaments.

“We will have more expensive tournaments because we have invitational sides from overseas and so forth, and that will put up the budget. So it depends on how successful we are, we intend to keep rebuilding and building and making it bigger and bigger.

“We are looking at somewhere around about US$50 000, it could go up to US$80 000.”

Harare Province Rugby Board chairperson, Joseph Kawonza, said they appreciate Paramount Garments’ continued partnership and commitment to the growing of rugby in this country. 

 “It’s a great partnership in that the clubs can focus on developing their players, coaching their players instead of trying to figure out how are they going to pay for referees and how are they going to pay for ambulances. Let the executive board worry about that, you make sure your boys show up on the pitch and play.

“This sponsorship has allowed us to improve execution of games as key safety aspects around matches are taken care of such as placement of stadia marking equipment and availability of ambulance and medical teams during games that provide a safer playing environment,” said Kawonza.  

Zimbabwe Rugby Union vice-president, Losson Mtongwiza, expressed their excitement for the sponsorship and pointed out that there are not many companies that come into the developmental stage of athletes. 

Meanwhile, action in the Harare Province Under-20 continues at Old Hararians Sports Club today with seven matches lined-up in both Division One and the top-tier competitions.

The main match of the day will see Old Georgians hoping to bounce back from last week’s defeat against Old Hararians when they tackle the defending champions Pitbulls.

Hosts Old Hararians will be eager to maintain their perfect start to the season when they battle it out against Northern Chiefs while Harare Sports Club face off against FS Raiders.

Kawonza has made an appeal to rugby fans to come in their numbers to support their teams at Old Hararians today.