adminNgoni Dapira
ZIMBABWE’s Seven’s national rugby team, Cheetahs, tomorrow (Saturday) first take on Argentina as the two-day IRB Port Elizabeth, South African Sevens World Series tournament roars to life.
The match kicks off live on DStv Super Sport 1 at 11:36am.
Zimbabwe was placed in a tough group, Pool B, with Australia, Argentina and Portugal, in the two-day tournament.
The Cheetahs, as they are fondly known, will next take on Australia at 14:30pm and Portugal at 17:48pm.
The matches on Sunday will then be played according to the results (group winner versus loser system) as the teams get out of the group stages.
Australia are the Dubai leg runners-up while Argentina and Portugal are seasoned campaigners in the world series, which means Gilbert Nyamutsamba’s men will definitely have to up their A game.
The 16-team tournament has four pools, the other pools are as follows: Pool A: South Africa, Wales, USA and Kenya; Pool C: Fiji, Scotland, France and Dubai; Pool D: New Zealand, England, Samoa and Japan.
Fiji, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa are the favourites in the tournament as winners in other series.
The Cheetahs left for the South Africa series last Monday and will be riding on their recent optimism following their third place finish at the Confederation of African Rugby Africa Cup Sevens tournament held recently in Harare.
Zimbabwe rugby sevens franchise chairman, Donald Mangenje, said the Port Elizabeth tournament experience will be good for the Cheetahs as they focus predominantly on the Hong Kong sevens series next year in March to qualify for core status in the International Rugby Board Sevens World Series.
The Cheetahs, a non-core member in the series, participate in just three legs of the nine-legged circuit — hosted in nine different countries across the world namely, Australia, Dubai, South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Hong Kong, Japan, Scotland and England.
So far the Australia and Dubai series have been played and after the South Africa series will be the New Zealand series.
“This is definitely going to be a very competitive tournament but the experience will be good as we continue to make strides to develop our rugby.
“Our priority is the Hong Kong series next year in March where our performance will determine our qualification for core status.
“We are slowly getting there as Zim (Zimbabwe) rugby.
“I am however confident the boys will put up a good fight and give their more experienced counterparts a good run for their money,” Mangenje said last Wednesday.
Mangenje added that Zimbabwe will host an international sevens invitational tournament next year early March in preparation for the Hong Kong series scheduled for 22 to 24 March.
Veteran player Jacques Leitao will captain the Cheetahs side, deputised by Hilton Mudariki.
The 2014-15 Sevens World Series season will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio, Brazil.
Squad
Jacques Leitao (captain), Fortune Chipendu, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Njabulo Ndlovu, Stephan Hunduza, Boyd Rouse, Wesley Mbanje, Graham Kaulback, Kilvan Magunje, Shayne Makombe, Hilton Mudariki, Kuda Chiwanza.
Online Reporter