Enthralled by the growing success of their fruitful partnership with Prince Edward School, Dairibord Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd have committed to renewing terms of their sponsorship of the popular schools rugby festival that takes place annually in April.

A signing date is currently under negotiation between the two parties whose camaradie is expected once again to lure hundreds of schools during the last week of the new year’s first school holiday to take part in the now famous Dairibord Rugby Festival.

The festival is reputed to be the biggest schoolboy rugby tournament in the world but has over the years expanded further to incorporate girls-only and mixed institutions while it also catered for primary schools last year.

Initially, Dairibord Zimbabwe and Prince Edward School were billed to pen the new 2017-2019 Zimbabwe Schools Rugby Festival Contract today but the event was postponed to another date owing to unforeseen circumstances.

But Tawanda Jimu, Prince Edward sports director, allayed fears of any impediments remaining hopeful that that the new deal between the school and its platinum sponsor would be operationalized in the not too distant future.

“(The postponement) is due to the fact that the headmaster of the school and some Dairibord officials have commitments and will not be available,’’ Jimu advised.

“Hence, we have seen it fit to postpone the meeting to a later date which we will be advised.”

Financial terms pertaining to the festival have never been disclosed but is thought to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The sponsors provide food and drink for all participants, who number more than 5 000, for six days and also provide allowances for match officials, tournament organizers and ground administrators.

The hyper-active week also sees Prince Edward convert its six rugby, hockey and cricket fields into venues for the rugby festival in addition to one of the school’s three soccer pitches. Boarding facilities are also opened to admit schools visiting from outside Harare.