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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
REIGNING Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Society Referee of the Year Precious Pazani is one of the referees appointed to officiate at the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023, which is set to take place over two three-day weekends in Stellenbosch, South Africa on April 20-22 and April 28-30.
Pazani is part of 12 match officials representing 10 nations that will take charge of the combined men’s and women’s matches at Markotter Stadium.
The winner of the 12-team women’s Challenger Series will automatically be promoted to the Sevens World Series 2024, the pinnacle of international rugby sevens.
The winner of the men’s Challenger Series, which also features 12 teams, will enter a four team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May 2023 together with the teams placed 12th-14th after 10 rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, with the winner of the play-off promoted to Sevens World Series 2024.
World Rugby High Performance Sevens Referee Manager Paddy O’Brien said: “The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series provides us with a fantastic opportunity to continue developing top level match officials in a meaningful international competition over two highly competitive events.
“The match officials selected represent an exciting group of referees who have a bright future in international rugby as we build towards Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028, and I would like to wish them all the best over the two weeks in Stellenbosch.”
World Rugby High Performance Women’s Referee Manager Alhambra Nievas said: “Over the course of the two weeks, the selected match officials will have the opportunity to experience the on-and-off field requirements of being an international referee, including physical and technical sessions, mental preparedness, fitness, team cohesion and decision making.
“These appointments provide another opportunity for a hardworking and talented group of young match officials to help facilitate exciting and meaningful matches and we have every confidence that they will be well prepared and ready to perform over the six days of competition in April.”
Last year was a good year for Pazani as she presided over high profile matches such as the Six Nations Under-20 Championship, Women’s Six Nations, World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Chile, Rugby Africa Cup in France, Rugby Sevens World Cup in Cape Town, Dubai Invitational Sevens and the Cape Town Sevens. -@innocentskizoe
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