The committee is made up of rugby enthusiasts, former players and administrators. These include chairman, Losson Mtongwiza, (Zimbabwe national fifteens manager and Sevens trustee), Vice-chairman Bruce Gatsi (former club player and businessman), Bruce Hobson (ZRU president and National Sevens manager), Farai Mangwende (Africa Sun Corporate Affairs manager), Tony Mitchell (Beatrice businessman and father of player Grant Mitchell) and Enock Muchinjo (veteran sports reporter).
The committee is set to raise funds for the travelling expenses of four team members -Coach Liam Middleton, Fortune Chipendo, Danny Hondo and Ryan Manyika- based in England, for the Cheetahs' training camp.
There will be competitive warm-up matches among the participating teams, a week before the global showpiece explodes into life, and the Cheetahs' performance in these matches will a morale booster ahead of the tough show.
It is during this week that ZRU also intends to fund the team as a committee member told The Zimbabwean the costs to put up in Dubai before the tournament will be met by the teams.
Middleton has been an inspiring coach to the Cheetahs, on the international scene and the coach of the year at the 2008 Annual National Sports Awards has always expressed confident in his team.
He told ZRU website: There were three places up for grabs in RWC sevens from the African Region and in the week-long camp leading up to the tournament, we decided as a team that the top spot, Tournament Winners, would be our goal, and why not? In the game of sevens, anything can happen; you can upset a top team or get turned over by a lesser team. I wasn't prepared to aim for just one of the slots, because you open yourself up to a turn over by a team with less strength. We now look forward to the greatest tournament in the World of sevens – Rugby World Cup sevens in Dubai. Well done to my team of players (Team of the Year at the Annual National Sports Awards), said Middleton.
Post published in: Rugby