adminJeffrey Murimbechi Sports Correspondent
ZIMBABWE Rugby Union selectors will today announce the names of players in the Cheetahs and Goshawks national sides that will represent the country in the Zimbabwe International Sevens Invitational tournament in Harare next week. Selectors had a tough time on Saturday afternoon where provincial teams converged at Harare Sports Club for trials and they (the selectors) could not come up with the final list which they promised to announce this afternoon.
The Sevens Invitational will be held at Harare Sports Club on March 14-15 with foreign teams coming in from Russia, Georgia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Zambia.
Saturday’s trials were the last game time preparations for the national sides before they go into camp today.
ZRU director of coaching and selector Liam Middleton emphasised that the selection criteria this year will lead up to a stronger Goshawks side in which a spirit of high competitiveness for Cheetahs jerseys by fringe players will inherently form a much stronger Cheetahs team.
“We are picking from four squads and I think this will be the strongest Goshawks squad.
“Picking a strong Goshawks side means we also have a stronger Cheetahs side as players in the Goshawks side are also capable of playing for the Cheetahs.
“My concern is that last year and two to three years before, the Goshawks were not a breeding ground for the Cheetahs. It was a team where we were rallying up a couple of guys and saying ‘can you play for us? The Goshawks are now a real breeding ground for the Cheetahs.
“We will have some of our experienced players to bolster the young guys and it is going to be a very exciting Goshawks side,” said Middleton.
He also said that teams such as Hong Kong have had at least 12 months to prepare prior to the invitational tournament as compared to Zimbabwe who only started intense preparations in January.
Online Reporter