adminPaul Munyuki Sports reporter
LOCAL rugby will take a two-week break, starting this weekend, as the Cheetahs and other league teams turn their attention to international tournaments in the region.
The Cheetahs are set to travel to Namibia for the SAFland Sevens Rugby tournament set for Windhoek, starting on Friday.
They will then travel to Nairobi for the Kenya Sevens next weekend while Harare Sports Club will be in Lusaka, Zambia, for a tournament.
With the Cheetahs preparing for the Rio 2016 Olympic qualifiers set for South Africa at the end of the year, they believe the two tournaments will help the side equip themselves given the calibre of opposition they will face over the next two weekends.
According to Rugby Africa, only the winners of the Africa Cup – which is being used as the qualifier – will make it for the 2016 Olympics.
And, over the next two weekends, Zimbabwe has a chance of meeting Kenya, who are their biggest threat.
South Africa have already qualified for the Olympics by virtue of them finishing in the top four of the World Sevens Series. The Blitzbokke, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Poland are some of the teams that have confirmed participation at the SAFlands tournament while Brazil, Argentina and Kenya are also expected to take part.
From Namibia, the Cheetahs will hardly rest as they will then travel to Kenya for the Safari Sevens where the England development squad, Portugal the England Saxons, Kenya , Uganda, Italy and Spain will compete for honours.
Meanwhile, Harare Sports Club and Old Georgians Sports Club will face off in the Northern Super League Cup final after they both won their semi-final games at the weekend.
In front of their home crowd, Harare Sports Club registered a sweet 26-17 win over bitter rivals Old Hararians while the Dragons got the better of Old Johannians with the two losing sides also expected to face off in a third place play-off.
Under the guidance of player-coach Daniel Hondo, both the Red Lions and the Old Boys gave a much better account of themselves in the second half, after a rather dull first half.
Former Zimbabwe youth international McLean Muhambi’s converted touchdown was all the Red Lions managed in the first half before Osborne Muhambi and Taddy Whata, who came in for Lenience Tambwera, added one apiece in the second half.
With Tambwera controlling the Sports Club midfield for the greater part of the game, the fly-half also weighed in with eight points – two penalties and a conversion – from his boot despite the windy conditions.
The introduction of the Sables three quarter duo of Charles Jiji and Cleopas Makotose appeared to bring life into the Old Boys camp but it was not enough to stop Sports Club who will face Old Georgians in three weeks time.
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