BY CAJ NEWS AGENCY
HARARE – The Zimbabwe Cheetahs have been drawn into the tough Pool ‘B’ of the
International Rugby Board’s (IRB) World Sevens Series in Dubai next month but will miss the services of United Kingdom-based player Daniel Hondo through injury.
The IRB World Series will run from 30 December to 1 December in Dubai.
Pool B of the series includes Fiji, Australia and Argentina.
Bruce Hobson, Zimbabwe Sevens manager and rugby union president, said the team would go into camp on 19 November. He said they would miss the services of Hondo, who is based at Hartpury College in the United Kingdom.
“We have been drawn into a tough group and it’s a pity we are likely to miss the Danny (Daniel Hondo). He has a groin injury. Pool B is a tough nut. Fiji are hard. We last played Australia in 2003 but we will give them a hard time.
“As for Argentina, they beat us comprehensively in Dubai but we were playing on a muddy pitch. We played them (Argentina) in George (South Africa) and they narrowly beat us 17-14,” Hobson said.
Second seeds Fiji top Pool B and also have a mountain to climb. No fewer than 16 former Sevens Series players were in the Argentina Rugby World Cup squad that finished third in France, and the Pumas will be looking to capitalise on the current rugby boom with further success.
Zimbabwe will participate in three out of the eight 2007/08 International Rugby Board Sevens World Series matches.
The Cheetahs have in the past been invited to two tournaments in Dubai and George, South Africa, but will be taking part in the Hong Kong leg of the competition for the first time next year.
The IRB Sevens circuit consists of tournaments played in Dubai, South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, England and Scotland from June to December.
It features 16 of the world’s best sides, and currently, the core teams are Fiji, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Samoa, Australia, Scotland, France, Tunisia and Argentina.
The IRB, the Sevens World 2007/08 Series, will kick off in Dubai from 30 November – 1 December. The George, South Africa series will be played from 7-8 December. The Hong Kong edition will take place from 28-30 March next year.
The series will end in Scotland from 31 May-1 June 2008, but Zimbabwe will not be participating.
DRAWS:
Pool A: New Zealand, France, Scotland, Arab Gulf Emirates. Pool B: Fiji, Australia, Argentina, Zimbabwe. Pool C: Samoa, Wales, Kenya, USA. Pool D: South Africa, England, Canada, Tunisia.
Zimbabwe’s opening fixtures: 30 November: Australia vs Zimbabwe; Fiji vs Zimbabwe;
Argentina vs Zimbabwe.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News