Emerging Champions – Ladies Junior Sables

A word From the Captain – Kimberly Kaseke – Captain 2025 Jr Sables

I begin my rugby journey in 2023 even though yet at the time it was quite mediocre with limited training and only one practice match in the duration of the year , however it’s during that time my ambition for the sport began to grow as I became filled with the unmatched adrenaline of going for tackles and realizing I could actually do it .
With each day and each training session my love for the sport grew as I developed new skills which helped boost my confidence.
However , unfortunately my rugby journey was cut short as the next year the sport was discontinued at my school and I had to find other alternatives to play the sport .

It was then in the following year i was informed about the national girls teams and I decided to take a risk on faith and it fortunately worked in my favor.
I made the U18 national girls side where we travelled to South Africa to participate in the annual FNB girls week for 2024.It was in this team I learnt so much about grit , determination and representing my country with great pride .

Fast forward 2025 , I was so blessed and fortunate to make the national team again, this time being honored with the role of being the national team captain for the U18 girls team , which would participate in the 2025 FNB girls week .

Initially, assuming the role of captain was hard but I just tried to apply the great leadership skills I managed to grasp from my 2024 captains (Nokutenda Shoriwa and Gabriella Chawatama ) and this made the role much easier to take on.

The journey
The journey to South Africa was filled with a lot of thrilling moments , from the second we departed from Zimbabwe to the very final whistle of the last game . I was filled with great anticipation as it would be my second time taking part in the tournament and I was more than eager to be apart of the tournament basing off our performance the previous year.
Instantaneously, from the moment we arrived we were warmly welcomed by our fellow opponents as they joined us in the singing of war-cries .
I believe this allowed us to more easily adjust and adapt to the environment as there was no hostility thrown at us .

Bata shiri and keep your head up.
An honor and a privilege I’ll never forsake and I’m just grateful for being trusted with this role
– Kimberly Kaseke

Our very first game was the next day against the Griquas team . We emerged victorious with an outstanding 52-00 win. Honestly speaking , before the game even began , I was certain of victory . Not because I thought we were a better team but because I was more than confident in our skills and capabilities as a team . From the moment the sun rose you could easily see how focused and ready everyone was as we sang in comradeship and prepared for the battle ahead. Showing true team unity and strength.
The game definitely wasn’t easy as Griquas came at us with their die hard spirit . They constantly tried to break through and conceive tries , they put up a commendable fight . However just like them we were just as determined to take the win and thankfully, it worked in our favor. We fought till the very last minute and never become complacent on the field on play .
Unfortunately due to this , in the last dying minutes I inquired an injury which made me unable to partake in the remaining 2 games.

Honestly after I realized the severity of my injury and that it meant I could no longer partake in the tournament, I was devastated. However I tried to my best to accept this horrific new reality and just find other ways to be present for my team without physically being able to play . The mantra that kept me going was
‘ bata shiri and keep your head up ‘

Due to our remarkable performance against Griquas , our next game was against Western Province, which is ranked to be the best girls team in South Africa.
The games were now scheduled to be played on a strength on strength basis .
I was forced to lead the team from the sidelines preceding from my injury .
Everyone gave off a hard fight however we were all still held back by an element of fear that lies in name western province .
We managed to fight till the very last whistle. However the final score was 36-5 .
Truly a devastating game and emotional game but we managed to keep our heads up and move onto the next game .

Our final game was against Eastern Province early in the morning and the outcome was 12-00 in favor of Eastern Province – It wasn’t the outcome we hoped to retrieve but it was unfortunately the one way gained . Nevertheless, despite the loss we still managed to gather together and mix with Eastern Province . I mean there was a lot to learn from each other and we definitely embraced that .
We left the pitch with new knowledge and enhanced experience from each other .

All in all the experience and honor was remarkable. Regardless of a win or a loss , I believe we all managed to learn valuable skills outside the field of play . Throughout every moment there was always something to learn let it be empathy to each other , determination , agility skills or always having a die hard spirit . We learnt from each other, as a team , as opponents and as rugby players . I honestly believe these lessons are the real win as we will forever be able to carry them in our many different aspects of life , in and outside the field the play.
We traveled with our U16 girls team this time around and to be newbies and perform so exceptional, it’s honestly commendable. I’m sure it’s safe to say , the future of girls rugby is in safe hands . It was more than an honor to be graced with the privilege to represent my country and be the 2025 captain.

An honor and a privilege I’ll never forsake and I’m just grateful for being trusted with this role. As of now I just can’t wait to see what the future in terms of rugby holds for me and for Zimbabwe!