Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Zimbabwe senior women’s Sevens rugby team, the Lady Cheetahs, are pleading for support as they prepare to travel to Kenya for the 2025 Rugby Africa Sevens Cup set for November 15 and 16 in Nairobi.
The Lady Cheetahs are one of 12 nations vying for continental honours in East Africa and have been drawn in Group A alongside neighbours South Africa and Mauritius.
With only a few days before departure, head coach Cyprian “Super” Mandenge says preparations have been hampered by a lack of resources, forcing players to dig into their own pockets just to attend training.
“If I can give an example of the Sables, why they got where they are now, it’s because of corporate support and everyone rallying behind them,” said Mandenge in an interview with Rugby Wire.
“For the girls to get to the next level, they also need that support. I can give them all I have as a coach, but they need resources. At the moment, we are having to fork out of our pockets to get the girls to training. It’s a challenge, but we just want to keep getting better.”
Mandenge said he is blending youth with experience, hoping to build a team that can sustain success beyond his tenure.
“If you look at the team we have now, we have a lot of youth blended with some seniors. I want to ensure that when I leave, there will be players who’ve come through and can take us to the next level,” he said.
At their last outing in Ghana, the Lady Cheetahs finished 12th. Mandenge is targeting a top-four finish this time but admits it’s difficult to act on lessons from previous tournaments without adequate funding.
“We picked a lot of lessons, but it’s something that we cannot control, resources,” he said. “The teams we played against had been in camp longer and had played several tournaments. For us, this will be our first time playing together as a team. The 15s season only ended a few weeks ago, so it’s been difficult to get the same girls to train consistently.”
He added that even basic needs such as supplements, gym access, and technical support remain out of reach.
“I remember at the previous tournament, South Africa were sitting next to us with supplements and a big technical team, while I was alone,” he said.
“I’m hoping to get assistance this time to travel with my assistant coach. The girls need gym time, and we haven’t had anyone come through to help us with that.
“We have talent all across the country, but are we able to reach it? No, because of resources.”
The Lady Cheetahs open their campaign against Mauritius on Saturday morning before facing South Africa later that day. — @brandon_malvin
