Cheetahs confident

AFTER enduring a political gridlock over the person to take charge of the Zimbabwe Sevens rugby side at the IRB World Sevens Series, progress finally seems to be taking place as the team gears up for the tournament. The tournament, which kicks off in Hong Kong tomorrow, is the qualifying tournament for core membership status on IRB Sevens World Series.

Cheetahs’ team coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba and technical director Liam Middleton were stuck in political corset over the latter’s involvement and interference in Nyamutsamba’s job, a clear indication that the former Bristol Rugby Club coach wanted to take charge of the Cheetahs.

The Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) was however, divided over who between the two was to be in control of the team. A meeting between the parties took place last week in Harare and failed to come up with a way forward. This led to Nyamutsamba withdrawing himself from the team that left for Hong Kong, leaving Middleton in charge. Despite all the boardroom squabbles, Cheetahs captain Jacques Leitao still believes his team can win the tournament to secure a core membership status.

“We are very excited about this (tournament),” Leitao told Financial Gazette Sport.

“The whole mindset of our team has changed after the boardroom fights. That is behind us now and the players are rejuvenated in spirit. If we can cope with the pressure (of the tournament) it should be alright whoever we have to face.”

“If we are at our level we should go through, I am very confident we can spring a surprise,” he said.

With the IRB changing the structure of the qualification process, a win at the Hong Kong tournament will ensure the Cheetahs  automatically  enters the elite league of the Sevens game. Core status enables the team to participate in all nine tournaments of the IRB World Sevens Series Circuit allowing growth of the shorter version of the game in the country.

The Cheetahs had only been taking part in selected tournaments on the circuit on an invitational basis with players only contracted on tournament to tournament basis. In 2012 the IRB introduced the qualifying process for the World Series, with the Cheetahs falling in the quarter finals. The following year, the Cheetahs lost to Russia in the quarter finals.

Since early January this year, the Cheetahs, sponsored by the Famous Grouse, have been on a high performance programme in preparation for this tournament. Recently, in the Zimbabwe Invitational Sevens Tournament held in Harare, the Cheetahs overcame Russia, Hong Kong and Georgia before losing 15-21 to South Africa’s Sevens team in the finals of the tournament.

Famous Grouse Cheetahs team in the Hong Kong Sevens: Jacques Leitao (Captain) Fortune Chipendu Tafadzwa Chitokwindo Stephan Hunduza Kilvan Magunje Hilton Mudariki Gardner Nechironga Jabulo Ndlovu Ben Nicholl Boyd Rouse Lenience Tambwera Biselele Tshamala Management team: Daniel Hondo, Steve MacDonald, Liam Middleton and Sophia Steffens.        

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