No guaranteed jersey at Cheetahs

ZAMBEZI Cheetahs manager Donald Mangenje has made it clear that no one is guaranteed a jersey in the team and players can only earn a berth through good performances and hard work.

This comes following the Cheetahs’ good display last year that saw them qualifying for their third successive Sevens World Cup to be held in San Francisco, United States of America (USA) from July 20-22.

Mangenje said players must not rest on their laurels but brace for some gruelling selection processes.

“We call upon all current, past and prospective Cheetahs players to brace themselves for a gruelling selection process as places and positions are not guaranteed in the Cheetahs set up. The pathway has been set and the management is set on getting the best of our Zimbabwean talent to showcase our rugby at international major tournaments,” Mangenje said.

To make it into the World Cup squad, players will have to impress coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba in a number of tournaments that have been lined up.

The Cheetahs will get down to business when they play in the Royal Bafokeng tournament in Sun City, South Africa on March 3-4.

The team will also play in Kampala, Uganda on March 16-17, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (March 24-25), Hong Kong (April 6-8) and Mauritius from June 22-23 before heading to the World Cup.

Mangenje said the team’s goal is to surpass its previous achievements and lift the seven’s game in Zimbabwe.

“We pay tribute to all the Cheetahs players who have brought us thus far through all the trials and tribulations of preparation and qualification for the World Cup. We are forever grateful for the bar they (players) have set. With the vast talent we have in our beloved country and beyond our borders, we are set to re-invigorate our structures as we plod forward to achieving core status and putting up a good show in San Francisco at the World Cup,” he said. — @khumzallen