Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Paul Munyuki
27 December 2008
Harare — ZIMBAWE'S Rugby Sevens provided the silver to the dark cloud that had been hovering over the national game when they defied all odds to qualify for next year's International Rugby Board World Cup set for Dubai in March next year.
The Cheetahs have over the years overshadowed the country's flagship team the Sables by constantly doing well on the international stage.
In a year that the senior national XVs team -- the Sables -- failed to qualify for the Africa Cup, and the national Under21 side was also virtually non-existent, all the attention was set on the Cheetahs when they travelled to Tunisia for the African Zone World qualifiers.
Zimbabwe finished second by Kenya to seal their place at the global rugby sevens showcase with hosts Tunisia claiming the third slot reserved for African teams.
Coach Liam Middleton's men had always shown the potential to achieve bigger things when they won the Castle Sevens in Lusaka Zambia at the end of June.
Earlier in June England-based coach Middleton had also guided his charges to a runners-up spot to Kenya at the Tuskers Sevens in Nairobi.
They lost in the final to the hosts who beat them 14-7.
In a busy year on the rod for the cheetahs, they also travelled to Tunisia for the Tangiers Sevens in which they gave a good account of themselves before losing to France.
Zimbabwe also made a return to the Hong Kong Sevens, which is part of the prestigious IRB Series.
The Cheetahs who had last been invited to that tournament 10 years ago lost 14-19 to Russia in the Bowls.
Middleton's men then completed a memorable year by taking part in the George Sevens in South Africa where they won the Shield event.
The Cheetahs feat on the international did not go unnoticed and Middleton was rewarded with the Coach of the Year of award at the Sport and Recreation Commission's Annual Sports Awards.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union president Bruce Hobson was also voted the administrator of the Year while the Cheetahs were named the Best team for 2008 ahead of African Champions League football semi-finalists Dynamos.
Cheetahs scrumhalf Tangai Nemadire also had a good outing at the Blue Bulls and Potchesfroom tournaments where he was named the Player of the Tournament in both eventsin October.
The Zimbabwe Under-19 also successfully applied to host next year's Junior World Championship Africa Zone qualifiers on a date yet to be announced.
Despite recording major successes in the sevens, the ZRU have continued to struggle to transform the Sables into a competitive unit in the traditional XVs version of the game.
Hobson, who looks to be retained as ZRU president at the union's annual meeting next month would have to put as much effort on the Sables and the Under-21 game as he has done for the Cheetahs.
The stocky ZRU boss has been a bundle of energy and at one stage trebled as the union's boss and general manager while also managing the Cheetahs.
He would also have to ensure that the ZRU secure a permanent home from which to conduct their business.
Hobson would also be hoping for a better deal from the Confederation of African Rugby next year after the continental body allegedly gave the ZRU a raw deal in the manner in which they handled their African Cup game against Senegal which eventually failed to take place.
Senegal refused to tour Zimbabwe due to misplaced security concerns and wanted the match to be played at a neutral venue, an option which the ZRU rightly refused to agree to.
Despite pressure from Zimbabwe that the match be played, the CAR, did not respond to any of the communication that was forwarded to them by Hobson.
According to Hobson IRB representative in Africa Cliffie Booysen never bothered to reply any of the communication he sent to him resulting in the ZRU president blasting the tournament as "a disgrace for failure to accommodate the ZRU."
In the end the senior national team, under the guidance of former Sables skipper Brendon Dawson played just one competitive international in which they came a cropper against Namibia losing 35-21 (recovering from a half time deficit of 28-0).
The Sables also travelled to Kitwe for an international friendly against Zambia.
There was very nothing much to happening in the women's game though with coach Abigail Govere's feat to become the first woman to get an IRB coaching Level II certificate under the guidance of accredited IRB instructor Murambiwa.
The women's side the Pangolins got some measure of international exposure with friendly matches against Zambia in Kitwe and also took part at the Castle Sevens.
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