Zimbabwe’s colleges of higher learning will put their learning gadgets aside and pit their rugby skills against each other when they collide in the fledgling Tertiary Institutions Rugby Cup in Bulawayo on Saturday.

This is the second event in the new competition that began last year hosted by Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) who lost in the final to Great Zimbabwe University.

The oval ball game is still at teething stage among local tertiary institutions and does not feature on their main sporting calendar run under the banner of the Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union.

Frankcon Mutare of Navcorn Sports Marketing believes, however, that college participation has been the missing link in the rugby development chain in Zimbabwe which begins at primary and secondary school and straight afterwards branches to the club level which has been struggling in recent years.

Neighbouring South Africa runs the ever-popular Varsity Cup known for unearthing gems that have gone on to play for several of that country’s national and provincial selects.

“We have very good players at universities and polytechnics in this country and even at teachers colleges. The only problem is that they do not have a league of their own. This event is one way of building towards the envisaged Varsity Cup in Zimbabwe,’’ Mutare told sportszone.co.zw.

Colleges confirmed to take part in the competition set for Hartsfield Ground in Bulawayo include National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Bulawayo Polytechnic, Midlands State University (MSU), Lupane State University (LSU), Belvedere Teachers College, School of Mines and Catholic University.

 Great Zimbabwe University, winners last year, were still to inform the organizers of their attendance but Mutare was hopeful the Masvingo-based institution, along with several other invited teams, would pitch up.

“As a new competition with some teams playing the game for the first time there is still administrative bottlenecks when it comes to communication but we are satisfied with the progress that is being made as tertiary officials gradually become well versed with requirements,’’ he said.

University of Zimbabwe (UZ), NUST and Africa University are among the already rugby-initiated tertiary institutions with UZ having once featured in the premier Inter-City League while NUST, AU and MSU have teams in the senior provincial divisions.

According to Mutare, teams taking part in the day-long Bulawayo competition would be entitled to field club rugby players as long as they are registered students at their respective colleges.

Beer giant Delta Beverages has come in a big way to support the event while Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance provided trophies and medals for the finalists.