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RUGBY action returns this afternoon when the Sevens Summer Series gets underway at Harare Sports Club where eight Harare teams will battle for honour with defending champions Old Georgians hoping to retain the title. Sports Club and Old Georgians have both fielded two teams in the competition while Police, Old Hararians, Old Johanians, and University of Zimbabwe complete the pools with a team each.
After winning the Northern Region Super Rugby League XVs competition two weeks ago, Harare Sports Club are aiming to shift their dominance to the shorter version of the game but it will not be easy for the Daniel Hondo-coached side. Hondo was early this year appointed as the Cheetahs coach and took the side to great highs after they reached the final of the World Sevens qualifiers, having been knocked out in the quarter finals last year.
The former Cheetahs playmaker has managed to bring new talent into the national side, grooming a youthful and formidable side on the international scene. However, his strength will be examined this afternoon, especially against Old Georgians, who have been the champions of Sevens rugby in Zimbabwe for almost five years.
The last time Sports Club won the Summer Series was in February 2011, having dominated the scene for over seven years but, since then, the championship has been residing at Groombridge side’s Old Georgians Sports Club. The Dragons will start their title defence with a date against Harare Sports Club second string side at 12.20pm with the University of Zimbabwe facing an uphill task against Sports Club in a lunch-time kick off.
Schools will also be part of the fiesta again with defending champions Churchill drawn in the same group with Peterhouse from Marondera, Northern Academy and Oriel Boys while Mbare Academy, Allan Wilson Marlborough and Mbare Select complete the schools teams.
The first game of the tournament will be in the schools section where a clash of the Mbare teams will mark the beginning of the programme with Mbare Academy taking on Mbare Select at 8am. The format of the tournament in both sections is that teams will play in a round robin format in their respective pools with the top two sides making it into the semi-finals, the winners proceeding to the final.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union Sevens chairman, Donald Mangenje, yesterday said teams from Zambia will also join the local sides in the final leg of the tournament. There has been a few pullouts in the schools and clubs division. I am sure next week (the tournament) will be bigger. “We are also looking forward to having Mkushi from Zambia participating in the final leg,” said the former Sables and Cheetahs scrummy.
Clubs
Pool A: Old Georgians, Harare Sports Club II, Police, Old Hararians
Pool B: Harare Sports Club, Old Johanians, Old Georgians II, University of Zimbabwe
Fixtures: Dragons v Sports Club II (12.20pm), OH v Police (12.40pm), Sports Club v UZ (1pm), Old Johanians v Dragons II (1.20pm), Dragons v Police (1.40pm), OH v Sports Club II (2pm), Sports Club v Dragons II (2.20pm), Old Johanians v UZ (2.40pm), Dragons v OH (3pm), Police v Sports Club II (3.20pm), Sports Club v Old Johanians (3.40pm), Dragons II v UZ (4pm).
Schools
Pool A: Mbare Academy, Allan Wilson, Marlborough, Mbare Select
Pool B: Churchill, Peterhouse, Northern Academy, Oriel Boys.
Fixtures: Mbare Academy v Mbare Select (8.20am), Allan Wilson v Marlborough (8.40am), Churchill v Oriel Boys (9am), Peterhouse v Northern Academy (9.20am), Mbare Academy v Marlborough (9.40am), Allan Wilson v Mbare Select (10am), Churchill v Northern Academy (1o.20am), Peterhouse v Oriel Boys (10.40am), Mbare Academy v Allan Wilson (11am), Marlborough v Mbare Select (11.20am), Churchill vs Peterhouse (11.40am), Northern Academy v Oriel Boys (12pm).
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