Zimbabwe Heritage Lacrosse wraps up Heritage Cup with growth and pride

The Lacrosse Heritage Cup has come to an end, with Zimbabwe’s teams returning home proud of both their results and the ground they’ve covered for the sport back home.

The Zimbabwe Heritage women’s team finished 13th out of 22 teams, while the men’s team placed 21st out of 35. The women’s side fell 5-3 to Poland in their final game, while the men’s team closed out with a 5-1 win over Poland Red.

Speaking to Fanzone, Zimbabwe Lacrosse founder Tapiwa Kandemiri reflected on what was more than just a tournament for the squad.

“It was a tough heritage cup, but fun all around,” Kandemiri said. “The teams came out and represented Zimbabwe. For us it was more than just a game. The goal was to set eyes on Zimbabwe and help us grow our program, which we did. I’m very proud of the team.”

The weekend wasn’t without challenges. Persistent rain didn’t dampen the spirit of the Zimbabwean contingent, with the diaspora community turning out in numbers to rally behind the teams.

“It rained all weekend, but we supported each other,” Kandemiri said. “We had a lot of people from the Zimbabwe community come to rally behind us. It was great. This is our third year at the Heritage Cup and it’s growing.”

Zimbabwe was one of only two African teams at the tournament, and Kandemiri said the experience was about visibility and unity as much as results.

“Being one of the only two African teams, I feel we represented our continent and Zimbabwe very well. Teams really love playing against us. I would say our goals were accomplished to show the culture of unity we have at the Heritage Cup.”

Looking ahead, Kandemiri hopes the exposure will translate into growth back home. “Next we pray that next year more of our girls and guys back home in Zimbabwe are able to come and join us.

The Zimbabwe Lacrosse Association was formed in 2023 by co-founders Tapiwa Kandemiri, who serves as the association’s president, and Sichelesile “Chele” Ndlovu.