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THE Zimbabwe Goshawks will open their Currie Cup First Division rugby campaign with a tough date against the Black Lion outfit from Georgia at Villagers Rugby Club in Cape Town, South Africa, on Saturday.
The match kicks off at 2pm.
Zimbabwe will be aiming for a positive start in South Africa’s second tier competition, which they are using to prepare for the Rugby World Cup qualifiers to be played in France in July.
The Goshawks kicked off their training camp in Cape Town on March 21 and stepped up their preparations for the Currie Cup First Division by getting the better of Boland in a preparatory match in Wellington, Western Cape, on Saturday.
During the warm-up game against Boland, the Goshawks scored six tries while their opponents crossed the whitewash four times. Sables captain Hilton Mudariki scored two tries while Dylan Utete, Russel Dinha, Darrel Makwasha and Tawanda Matipano managed a try each in a big confidence boost for the side which is laden with upcoming young talent.
The Brendan Dawson-coached side will however face a test of character in their opening against a physical Black Lion outfit.
The newly created Georgians professional team will also be making its debut in the Currie Cup but last year featured in the Rugby Europe Super Cup which also featured teams from Israel, Russia, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Zimbabwe Goshawks, who are fielding a new look squad with a blend of youth and experience, will be eager to show there are no push overs despite the absence of some of their high-profile players due to contractual obligations with their clubs.
The Zimbabwe Goshawks are one of the three international representatives in this year’s Carling Currie Cup First Division together with the Black Lion outfit from Georgia and Kenyan representative, the Simbas.
The trio of international participants will join the defending champions, the Leopards, Griffons, South Western Districts, Boland, Eastern Province, Border and the Valke over a single round of action, with the final scheduled for the final weekend of June.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Sevens Rugby Committee has announced a partnership with leading poultry producer Sable Chickens and Delta Beverages through their Zambezi Lager brand to host an exciting series of local rugby sevens tournaments.
The two domestic tournaments games will be played over two weekends at Harare Sports Club.
The first round of games — Sable Summer Series slated for April 2 to 3 — will see 12 senior men’s teams, six women’s teams and six junior club teams from Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare battle for spots in The Battle of the Zambezi Challenge.
The winning teams will face Zambia and Botswana teams for the title championship in The Battle of the Zambezi Challenge slated for April 9 to 10.
The objective of these tournaments is in line with the Cheetahs’ committee’s vision to develop and empower an all local national squad that will represent Zimbabwe regionally and internationally.
This is also part of Zimbabwe Rugby Union’s strategic development plan which encourages an increased level of participation in the sport thus leading to improved performance.
The tournaments are also meant to assist Zimbabwe’s rugby sevens teams with game time in preparation for the Africa Sevens Cup in Uganda and Tunisia from April 22 to 25 where both men’s and women’s teams have qualified.
“The Zimbabwe Cheetahs are thrilled to have the opportunity to host these premier events.
‘‘We are confident that will put together an unforgettable experience for our players and we hope to see you there! All games will be live-streamed on Sandsport LIVE Facebook page.
‘‘All this will not be possible without friends of the Cheetahs namely our Silver Partner Sable Chickens and Bronze Partner Zambezi (DELTA) who are making these tournaments a success,” said Cheetahs coach Graham Kaulback.
The two tournaments are yet another boost for the Cheetahs, who recently held a training camp at the Stellenbosch Academy for Sport in Cape Town, where they played some preparatory matches against the SA Sevens Academy team. — ZimSportLive
Online Reporter