Just in time for International Women’s month, Abigail Kawonza continues to push boundaries and take Rugby Africa to new heights, reminding us that even if one-woman scores, we all win.
The inclusion and integration of women in sports has been a contentious topic over the years. As the industry continues to open space for women all around the world, International Women’s month is a good time to not only commemorate pioneers such as Abigail Kawonza, who have pushed boundaries and opened doors for other women – but to also celebrate the work done to date. Having been involved in rugby for over two decades – Abigail Kawonza has witnessed the industry’s many wins and losses. However, in her role as one of Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com)’s Unstoppables, she has also seen and celebrated many developments, especially in a sport that was largely considered for men.
Being part of the Unstoppables, a campaign dedicated to
fast-tracking the development of women’s rugby in Africa, Kawonza pridefully
notes that one of the major developments in her time is “the widespread
acceptance of women taking part in rugby tournaments which has helped to
project the sport onto higher platforms and expand its popularity. We have seen
a change from just articles to women’s rugby being accepted in Olympics and
Commonwealth Games.
Coralie van den Berg, General Manager of World Rugby African
Association, Rugby Africa, testifies to this, explaining that increasingly
“more tournaments including women’s categories are being developed. When unions
now launch a new tournament, they tend to always include a women’s category
which is a very positive development.”
Kawonza notes that some of the major improvements she has
also seen on a global scale is “the increase in funding covering the
development of the game in both sevens and the fifteens format as well as
younger and stronger players emerging.” As the industry increasingly makes
provision for women, Kawonza also notes an increase in adequate skill levels to
showcase great games at any level due to properly accredited coaches taking time
to coach women.
“Let’s not forget qualified female technical staff taking
the reins” she adds. Kawonza’s passion for sports and her journey as an
Unstoppable has also opened bigger opportunities for her, allowing her to make
even wider strides towards opening the industry for other talented women
rooting on the other side of the fence.
One of the key achievements being her role as the President
of the Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Association which has opened opportunities to
better guide younger referees towards maintaining best practice. Beyond the
amazing strides Kawonza has made in her career, her tenure as an Unstoppable
has further expanded her impact beyond Zimbabwe’s grounds.
“I appreciate that my influence has gone beyond the
Zimbabwean borders as I also work closely with regional and international union
boards”, says Kawonza. “The recognition as an Unstoppable has opened doors for
more women in Zimbabwe, and I intend to ride the wave for as long as I can.
Taking young match officials and players with me” she adds.
In her Scrumqueens Q&A, Maha Zaoui shares the same
sentiment as Kawonza, adding that “the creation of the Women’s Rugby Advisory
Committee at Rugby Afrique and its 4 sub-committees speaks to the global vision
of women’s rugby in Africa. We are no longer talking about priorities but about
a global project that will affect all related sectors in women’s rugby.”
Kawonza’s key focus has been to bridge the gap between talent search and
development and foster talent that can soar to professional rugby heights.
About talent, Rugby Africa Referee Manager, Mudiwa
Mundawarara shares that “over the years, the support of the South African Rugby
Union and French Rugby Federation has been tremendous, and I am pleased that it
will continue with greater emphasis on talent identification, on training and
coaching of referees from the rest of the continent. This will eventually lead
to greater opportunities for them through a selection process drawn from the
strengthened development cohorts.” Beyond opening doors for young women,
Kawonza’s role as an Unstoppable also enabled her to mentor upcoming players to
be smart about their careers beyond the field.
“I have a different view as an “older” if not the oldest
Unstoppable - I encourage young women to pursue their education to the fullest
because sport goes beyond what you do on the field, it’s about you being
articulate and able to represent yourself as a brand in the world out there.
This will help you go beyond the field when you reach your “shelf-life” or even
if playing is not your thing but still have that passion for rugby” says
Kawonza.
Kawonza’s journey as a pioneer is far from over, as a
believer in the power of mentorship Kawonza adds that “everyone needs a hero
and my vision is to build a mentorship program for women who have been
successful in the field (coaching, match officiating, administration) where
they too can be able to mentor the young women, on and off the field of play.”
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