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The Hong Kong leg of the World Series tournament is divided into two categories with the first competition involving only core members and hosts Hong Kong for the main title battle which has teams from Pool A to Pool D.
Zimbabwe will take part in the second tier competition that has teams fighting for core membership and this will be the first of the two leg qualifying rounds as the final leg will be held in London in two months time.
Led by captain Jacques Leitao, the Cheetahs are aiming at finishing among the top four in the second tier 12-team competition that has regional teams in Pool E to Pool G.
Zimbabwe are in Pool G.
From the end of the 2012/13 Sevens World Series, promotion and relegation from core team status comes into effect, with a pre-qualifying competition in Hong Kong and a final core team qualifier in London.
The Hong Kong World Series leg will feature a total of 28 teams and two competitions; in the first, the 15 current core teams and the winner of the HSBC Asian Sevens Series, Hong Kong, will compete for the famous Hong Kong title and World Series points.
In the second competition, 12 regional teams — two from each of the six IRB regions — will compete for four places at the core team qualifying final in London.
The London Sevens will feature 20 teams and two competitions.
In the first, the top 12-ranked sides in the HSBC Sevens World Series after round 8, the Emirates Airline Glasgow Sevens, will compete for the London title and final World Series points.
In the second, the 13th, 14th and 15th ranked core teams, after the Glasgow event, will compete against the four qualifiers from Hong Kong and Asian champions Hong Kong for the three available core team places on the 2013/14 HSBC Sevens World Series.
The Cheetahs have been drawn against Mexico, the Cook Islands and Russia in Pool G where they play in the tournament opener against Mexico on Friday evening.
The Gilbert “Gidza” Nyamutsamba-coached side will return to the field early on Saturday, playing the first game of the day as well against the Cook Islands, before rounding up their Pool G games with a date against Russia.
The top two teams from Pool E to Pool G and the two best runners up will make it for the quarter-finals of the second tier competition and the best four from there will proceed to London where they will join Hong Kong and the bottom placed three teams from the current core teams.
Cheetahs:
Fortunate Chipendu, Jacques Leitao (captain), Lucky Sithole, Garth Ziegler, Kelvin Magunje, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, , Gardner Nechironga, Tangai Nemadire, Tapiwa Tsomondo, Njabulo Ndlovu Daniel Hondo.
Coach: Gilbert Nyamutsamba
Manager: Bruce Hobson
Hong Kong Draw
Pool A: South Africa, Wales, Argentina, Australia.
Pool B: New Zealand, United States, France, Kenya.
Pool C: Samoa, England, Scotland, Portugal.
Pool D: Canada, Fiji, Spain, Hong Kong.
Pool E: Tonga, Uruguay, Tunisia, Chinese Taipei.
Pool F: Japan, Georgia, Jamaica, Brazil.
Pool G: Russia, Zimbabwe, Cook Islands and Mexico.
Online Reporter