Spar Sevens series kicks off

Sports Club, with the second leg, set for the rugby section while the third leg is set for the cricket ground.
Harare Sports Club will host two legs of the event as Old Hararians pulled out as their ground is undergoing terrace renov ations.
The third leg will, however, be played on the cricket field as a dry run to the Spar International Sevens tournament set for the same venue in the first weekend of March.
Cheetahs manager Bruce Hobson, who is also part of the tournament organising committee, yesterday indicated that teams from Bulawayo, Mutare and Gweru will also take part in the season opener.
Old Georgians, Harare Sports Club, Mbare, Police Defenders and Air Force are the Harare clubs while Shabanie and Gweru represent the Midlands Province with Bulawayo providing Old Miltonians, Busters and Panthers and Mutare completing the quota.
“This will be three weekends full of exciting rugby for local clubs.
“Initially clubs were expected to host the event in the order that Old Georgians had the first leg, the second going to Old Hara rians while Sports Club were to host the final leg.
“But this has since been changed and Sport s Club will host two of the tournaments because Old Hararians are having some renovations or upgrading of their field so by that time they will not be ready.
“So the second leg will be held at Sports Club in the rugby field but the final leg will be in the cricket field where we will have a field run to the International Sevens that will take place at that venue in the first week of March,” said Hobson.
The former Zimbabwe Rugby Union president believes that this will be a good platform for potential and current Cheetahs players to showcase their talent in the build up to the Spar International Sevens and the IRB Hong Kong Sevens.
“It gives us a better chance of looking at some players who might not have played for the Cheetahs as seen in the previous tournaments when we had the likes of Kevin Magunje and Chigumbura from Gweru being revelations.
“The second thing is that this prepares our players for the upcoming international Sevens tournament as it would be good for them to have some playing time before the big stage while the clubs have a chance to warm before the XVs season.”
Since last year, the Summer Series has been drawn in line with the international calendar.
“But without our sponsors like Spar we would not have been able to hold such events, especially the international tournament, and to add on to that we will have a golf day next Friday to fund raise for the tournament.
“Sponsorship has always been difficult to come by and we are fortunate enough to have Spar as the main Cheetahs and international tournament sponsors and also Lion Lager who are part of the rugby family,” said Hobson.
Old Georgians are the defending champions having beaten rivals Harare Sports Club in the final last year.