‘Absolute nonsense’: Sables squad members lambast ‘ghost-house’ claims

By SportsCast Writer

HARARE – Members of the Zimbabwe national rugby team have described as a “smear campaign” claims by a blogger that members of the squad have been living in deplorable conditions at a run-down house in suburban Harare.

Since the current Sables Trust was established nearly three years ago and the successful 2027 World Cup vision was launched, the Sables have been housed at a luxurious and spacious home on Piers Road in Harare’s leafy Borrowdale suburb.

The comfortable home – owned by a kindly Harare family that has contributed generously to the Sables’ remarkable turnaround – is located in a tranquil environment, an attractive blend of nature and modernity.

A view of the Piers Road home used by the Sables while in camp.

It has, amongst other facilities, a large swimming pool and fitness equipment.

“I never imagined that in my lifetime, the Sables will ever be exposed to this level of professionalism, as we’ve seen over these past three years,” said one senior player.

“I say this as somebody who has been part of the Sables for a very long time. This has been a massive shift from the shambolic camps of the past where the players were literally abandoned and left to take care of themselves, even having to hitch-hike public transport to and practice, carrying heavy training kit and all.”

The home includes facilities such facilities as a swimming pool and fitness equipment.

Another Sables regular, who has been in the set-up for a decade, also confirmed the team’s camping on Piers Road before trips to Uganda for the Africa Cup in 2024 and 2025, an end-of-year tour to the UAE and South Korea in November 2024 as well as ahead of the first stage of the World Rugby Nations Cup in North America last July.

Members of the Sables squad have spoken highly of their camping base.

“It’s time people stop this, it’s absolute nonsense,” he said. “What are they trying to achieve, who are they trying to tarnish and why? You just get the feeling that it’s not all of us who are celebrating what has been achieved in ZimRugby over the past three years. Others are clearly not happy that some good Zimbabwean people, not themselves, made sure this World Cup qualification became a reality. It’s jealousy, a smear campaign to discredit people who have done a wonderful thing for our country. So despicable.”

A Sables technical staffer added that the Sables left camp as soon as they arrived back from North America last month.

“The World Cup begins on 1 October next year; we already have players in camp for a tournament that’s a good 13 months away? Incredible! Right now, players are going about their business, at their clubs and other occupations in Zimbabwe and around the world where they are based. Before the World Cup, we have the second leg of the Nations Cup in the UK this November and we haven’t even started camp yet for that. And somebody is talking about camping for a World Cup that’s a year away! You can’t get away with such lies.”

Paddy Zhanda, chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) presently running the affairs of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU), on Wednesday morning dismissed the claims of the union’s association with the said derelict property, labelled “ghost house.”

The ZRU media department had the previous night also released a statement, setting the record straight.

“ZRU wishes to clarify that no Sables players have been accommodated at the property depicted in the images in preparation for the 2027 Rugby World Cup nor have the Sables been accommodated there while on official national team camp or national duty,” read the press release.

“The property depicted is not leased, operated or managed by the Zimbabwe Rugby Union and the Union has not designated the property as official accommodation for the Sables.”

It has, meanwhile, turned out that the property that was circulated, which is in the suburb of Strathaven, accommodates some club rugby players in a private arrangement between them and the owner.

No Sables player has been booked there while on national duty.

The owner of the house offered the place for free to domestic league players mainly from outside Harare, who do not have somewhere to stay. Most of the players train at Old Hararians Sports Club and Harare Sports Club.

A coach at one of the two clubs thanked the owner for his gesture and explained that the ZRU and the Sables Trust are not involved in this arrangement.

He said: “That house has nothing to do with the ZRU or going to the World Cup. The players who live there are not there as national team players but on their own behalf, even though they are free to train with the national team. It’s a well-wisher who has given up his house for local-based club rugby players who need it, those with housing challenges or those from outside Harare and want to be close to good clubs, where they feel they stand a better chance of being noticed. Also now, there is no official camp for the Sables, but guys have been training, coming from their homes. The domestic players at the Strathaven place are welcome to join this Sables environment if they wish, for their own development, so they are grateful for the Strathaven offer. It’s so disheartening therefore that some grown men want to be ungrateful on their behalf. I’ve been there myself, it’s actually a decent house, which just requires the boys to be orderly and clean after themselves.”