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Kenya: Rugby - Team Pooled With Tunisia in Africa Cup
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The Nation (Nairobi)
COLUMN
12 March 2008
Posted to the web 11 March 2008
Nairobi
Kenya has been drawn in a tough pool for the Africa Rugby Confederation Cup which kicks off on June 14.
The team travels to Tunisia before hosting the winner between Cameroon and Nigeria.
Uganda has been grouped together with Madagascar and the winner between Botswana and Swaziland, while 1995 Rugby World Cup finalists Cote d'Ivoire play Morocco and Senegal. Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia are also in the same pool.
Paul Sigombe, the CAR vice-chairman, said the teams would be divided into four pools of three teams each. The winners and runners-up in the four pools will play in a tournament in a centralised place to vie for the next Rugby World Cup.
The full IRB/CAR members are Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa (represented by SA Amateurs), Swaziland, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens final will be hosted in Dubai by the Arab Gulf Union from March 5-7.
Kenyans eye Zambia Open crown
Emirates Airline is the principal partner of the event, which will be staged in the United Arab Emirates for the first time at a new state-of-the-art rugby complex currently being constructed off the Al Ain Road close to Dubailand.
The event will break new ground by being the first ever Rugby World Cup to incorporate both men's and women's competitions.
The agreement to become a principal partner sees Emirates Airline extend its rugby sponsorship portfolio even further.
Develop women's game
"We are delighted to be supporting 2009 RWC 7's and are eagerly looking forward to next year's kick off. Emirates Airline has a proud record of sponsoring international sevens rugby which stretches back to 1988, and our involvement with RWC 7's enables us to continue supporting the global development of the sport and the growth of the women's game," said Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata Emirates Group.
The staging of 2009 RWC 7's follows from the highly successful Emirates Airline-sponsored IRB under-19 World championship that was held in Dubai and Sharjah in 2006.
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The 24 men's teams taking part in the 2009 RWC 7's will be attempting to win Melrose Cup.
The competition first took place in Scotland in 1993, before moving to Hong Kong in 1997, Argentina in 2001 and Hong Kong again in 2005 where Fiji emerged victorious.
The eight quarter-finalists from 2005, Fiji, plus New Zealand, England, Australia, France, Scotland, Argentina and South Africa as well as the host union Arabian Gulf - qualify automatically for 2009 RWC 7's.
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