BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
The Zimbabwe Under-18 rugby sevens team is set for some rare action when they compete in the Capricorn Group-sponsored International Junior Sevens Rugby Tournament that will take place at the Windhoek Gymnasium Private School, Namibia, this weekend.
Six teams — including Botswana, Germany, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe — are scheduled to compete in the international section of the event.
Zimbabwe has been a regular feature at the annual event, dominated by rugby giants South Africa, since its inception in 2017.
The Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) announced the young Cheetahs team that will fly the country’s flag last week.
“It is great pleasure to announce Zimbabwe will field an international team to take part in one of the very few junior 7s tournaments in the world. The team has had an impressive 19 days of training camps spread over six camps as part of the selection and build-up to the Capricorn 7s tournament. This is the best preparation a junior sevens team has had,” ZRU said in a statement.
“Following successful global sevens rugby selection trends, coaches identified 42 players with potential in the shortened version of rugby and gradually cut the team to the current 14 players. Coaches assessed players on skills, speed, endurance, range of skill set, commitment and most importantly character,” added the statement.
The squad has three players who took part in the same tournament in 2019 namely Brendon Mason, Carl Kawodza and Brooklyn Chikaka.
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Tanaka Ndabambi from St Alban’s College in South Africa will captain the side while St John’s Mason who will be the understudy.
Well-known junior rugby coach Shaun De Souza leads the technical team that includes assistant coach Leonid Chimbuya and team manager Nyasha Muchochomi.
Zimbabwe will play Germany, South Africa and Botswana respectively on Friday before completing the Group matches on Saturday morning.
The top two teams will play in the cup final with third and fourth competing in the plate final while fifth and sixth battle it out for the bowl final later on Saturday.
The Zimbabwe U18 7s team 1. Rukudzo Rukwata-Ndoro, Prince Edward School Player 2. Vice-captain Brendan, Mason St Johns College Player 3. Simbarashe Siraha, Wise Owl Group of Schools Player 4. Captain Tanaka Ndabambi, St Albans College Player 5. Brendon Marume, Lomagundi College Player 6. Brooklyn Chikaka, Peterhouse Boys Player 7. Tariro Tapfuma, Peterhouse Boys Player 8. Takudzwa Musingwini, Prince Edward School Player 9. Carl Kawodza, St Johns College Player 10. Tapiwa Zvidzai, Hellenic Academy Player 11. Emmanuel Farawu, Prince Edward School Player 12. Tawanda Matipano, St Stithians College Player 13. James Butler, Hellenic Academy Player 14. Tanaka Ndoro, Peterhouse Boys Player Technical team Shaun De Souza Prince Edward School Head Coach Official 2. Leonid Chimbuya Midlands Christian College Assistant Coach Official 3. Nyasha Muchochomi Watershed College Manager Non-travelling reserves 1. Tadiwa Murewa, St Stithians College 2. Liberty Sibanda, Churchill Boys High 3. John Oscar, Hellenic Academy 4. Simba Kanyangarara, Prince Edward
