Gateway Primary School is confident of winning the primary schools rugby festival on Saturday.
 
The tournament is expected to feature some top schools namely, Lilfordia, Ruzawi, Hellenic, Heritage, Eaglesvale, St Johns, St Michaels, Maranatha, Alex Park and the hosts Gateway. The teams are divided into two pools of five teams, where each team plays every team in the pool. The pool winners will then compete in the final. Eaglesvale are the defending champions.

Tariro Chawafambira, Gateway Primary School coach hopes the experience the school has gathered in Rugby over the years will help spur them to victory.

 “Gateway Primary School has over the years built a reputation of being a very competitive School on the sports field. The School rugby team has become a real force to reckon with from grade 3-7.
“Our aim as a School is that the tournament be played with the true sportsmanship and that all the individuals’ involved find it a very enjoyable festival,” said Chawafambira.
There will also be individual prizes for the best tackler, most tries, best forward, best backline, most spirited team and the team that plays the most attractive rugby.
“For most if not all of the grade 7 and 8-year-olds taking part in this tournament, this is just the beginning of their careers and the nerves and excitement will surely be felt by them and everyone involved leading up to this big day in their lives,” said Chawafambira.

Gateway grade three rugby coach Andrew Makonese said his team will be meeting twice this week for fitness and skills development and he believes they have a fair chance of winning this tournament.

He also said their play would be centred on his big, fast and aggressive centre Mazvita Sithole.

“He is surely a player to look out for,” said Makonese.

The school’s Senior Director of Sport and co-curricular activities, Gus Hulley said: “Certificates will be awarded in seven categories and there is a trophy for the most attractive rugby team.

“Each team will play all the other teams in their pool and then there will be cross over pool matches with fifth playing fifth, fourth playing fourth, third playing third, second playing second and first playing first,” said Hulley.