Coventry mingles with the Cheetahs
YOUTH, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry has urged the National Rugby Sevens team to fully express themselves when they take part in the Dubai leg of the HSBC World Series next week.
The Cheetahs, fresh from winning the 2018 Africa Cup after beating Kenya 15-7 in the final in Monatsir, Tunisia, last month are back in the hunt for glory when they face some of the core HSBC World Rugby Sevens members in Dubai.
Coventry took time to mix and mingle with the Cheetahs at a well-organised fundraising dinner for coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba and his men in Harare on Thursday night.
The Minister said although the Cheetahs, who also represented Zimbabwe at the Sevens World Cup in the United States earlier in the year, had set themselves lofty standards, “they have no business putting themselves under pressure at the Dubai tournament and the next assignment in Cape Town’’ as they are only attending as one of the invited sides following their African triumph.
She congratulated the team for flying high the country’s flag after winning the continental honours.
The Cheetahs are also scheduled to compete in the Cape Town leg of the Series a week after taking part in Dubai.
Then they stand a chance to become a core member of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens if they do well in the Hong Kong leg they are scheduled to compete in, in April next year.
“I would like to congratulate the Cheetahs and they are going to Dubai and Cape Town. I am wishing them the best of luck in those assignments.
“We should be very proud of them and what they have done. We do not have to put too much pressure on them but I think they are a good team. They have what it takes and I think that is very important,” said Coventry.
The fundraising dinner saw various memorabilia being auctioned including a jersey worn by big prop Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira in Test between South Africa’s Springboks and Argentina’s Pumas in 2016. The jersey that was sold for $1500. Coventry said the Cheetahs deserve support from all Zimbabweans but there was no need for them to be under pressure in the Dubai and Cape Town tournaments. “They have all our support and we wish them good things. They have done us proud by winning the Africa Cup and it is our hope that they will also flourish in Dubai and Cape Town. “But, like what I have said, we do not have to pressure them. They have already shown how good they can be and they should play without any pressure whatsoever. They are a good team who on their day can beat any opponent.
“As they go to participate in Dubai and Cape Town, we wish them all the best.
“The Cheetahs can harness the fact that they are not under any pressure to deliver into positive energy, push themselves and I am sure they will emerge triumphant in the two outings.”
Zimbabwe are in Pool A along with defending champions South Africa, Samoa and Argentina. They open the campaign against neighbours South Africa on Friday before facing Argentina and Samoa on the same day.
“I think the sporting season has actually been good especially towards the end of the year. Our senior netball team sealing a maiden World Cup berth whilst their soccer counterparts are on the verge of making it into the African Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon next year.
“The Cheetahs have also done well and we still expect other sport codes to do well.”
Coventry said, the sporting season has been a very huge success so far with the national netball, soccer, korfball and the rugby sevens squads doing well.
“So really, it has been a good year for the sporting industry this year. We hope to improve on our showing going into the New Year.
“Overall, I am happy with how our teams have performed this season”.
The Cheetahs have been the domestic game’s most successful national side and despite often being left alone, there has been a huge improvement in the way they are catered for with Aaron Jani’s Zimbabwe Rugby Union leadership moving to reunite the rugby family behind the cause of all national sides including the youth teams.