Impala win Colony Club Casino Rugby
Ndirande Impala emerged top of the seven-team pile at St. Andrew’s International High School in Blantyre on Saturday to win the Colony Club Casino Development Rugby Tournament.
They won all their six games in the day-long contest, including a 5-2 beating of Luchenza One to collect 12 points, four ahead of second-placed Black Cats.
Mwale as others look on
“This is a deserved victory for us. Our tackling, running and passing techniques were just fantastic. It feels great to be the champions,” marvelled Impala’s captain Martin Mwale.
In the ladies’ category, glory went to Impala Ladies, who saw off their only contenders Luchenza Ladies 5-3.
According to Colony Club Casino’s managing director John Loudon, although it was not a rugby season in the country, they decided to bankroll the seven-a-side competition to coincide with the World Rugby Cup in progress in England so as to inspire the youth.
He said the Casino also wanted to use the K2 million event to donate 60 rugby balls to Malawi Rugby Union (MRU) Development Committee.
“As the World Cup is in progress, we wanted Malawi youths to enjoy the sport and apply what they would see on television,” said Loudon. “Moreover, we wanted to equip the rugby development team with one of their great needs: rugby balls. This is our first time to support them but not the last.”
According to MRU development officer Duncan Peake, they used touch rather than the normal contact rugby during the contest so as to let the players avoid sustaining injuries on the hard ground. n
