adminPaul Munyuki Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE rugby’s search for glory this year has been an unsuccessful quest with the Cheetahs, Sables and the Under-19 sides all failing to impress when it matters most. But, there is still some hope. The country could still make the 2016 Rio Olympics while the Sables are set for a four-nations tournament in Hong Kong.
The Cheetahs stand a good chance of making it for the prestigious global sporting showcase that will, for the first time, accommodate rugby with the qualifiers set for South Africa later this year.
The Blitzbokke have already qualified for the Olympics, having done so in Glasgow early this year by virtue of finishing in the top four of the World Sevens Series.
According to Rugby Africa, only the winners of the Africa Cup will qualify for next year’s edition of the Olympics as Africa now has two slots at the Games.
The Cheetahs, though, know they have a lot of work on their hands as Kenya could provide a barrier in their quest for Rio.
The Cheetahs stood a good chance of getting silverware at the Africa Games, currently underway in Congo-Brazzaville, but Rugby Africa withdrew from this year’s Games.
This has forced the Cheetahs to shift focus to the Namibia SAFland Sevens Rugby tournament in Windhoek at the end of this month.
But, so far, it has been a case of so close, yet so far, for local rugby representative teams.
The Cheetahs suffered an agonising 19-22 last-minute defeat to Russia in the final of the World Series core membership qualifier in Hong Kong in March.
Then, the Zimbabwe Under-19 rugby side failed, for the fourth time in a row, to make it for the Junior World Rugby Trophy.
An extra-time 32-34 defeat at the hands on Namibia ended the locals’ hopes.
The only consolation was that this represented an improvement as the team made it into the final for the first time in three years.
Online Reporter