ZRU looking forward to an exciting 2023 season

THE vice-president of the Zimbabwe Rugby Union Losson Mtongwiza says they are looking forward to an exciting year with a lot of games expected for the year.

Among the major highlights for the rugby family this year is the Olympic qualifier to be hosted by Zimbabwe in September.

It will feature Africa’s leading teams and the winning team qualifies for Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“There are a lot of things coming through… The big one for the sevens is the Olympic qualifier, which is going to happen in Harare on September 16 and 17.

“That tournament is big because it’s a qualifier, the team that wins that tournament goes directly to the 2024 Olympic Games. And Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Madagascar have all qualified and they will all go straight into that tournament (qualifier).

“There will be a few other pre-qualifier tournaments which are being held by Lesotho.

“They are hosting a tournament and the winner of that event will make it to our tournament.

There is also a tournament in Burundi, the winner of that competition will make it to our tournament,” said Mtongwiza.

This is a major boost for Zimbabwe, who have never qualified for the Olympics before and will be hoping to utilise the home advantage.

Mtongwiza said they have to put together their best team for the assignment and they are working hard to ensure all is in place, come September.

“It’s a massive opportunity. It’s an opportunity that we haven’t had in a very long time to actually be able to host the tournament and to be able to qualify directly for the Olympics. We have never qualified for the Olympics.

“But we have a massive opportunity, so we have to build, we have to put our best team on the ground, on home ground. The local crowd will be very much expectant.

“And the fact that South Africa is also not part and parcel of this tournament, leaves it very open for us to actually go and grab that ticket. So we are working hard.

“The team right now is hard at work with that goal, Olympic qualifier eight months away, in mind,” said Mtongwiza.

Zimbabwe will also take part in the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

The Under-20s, the 15s side and the women’s side have various competitions lined up for the year.

The Lady Cheetahs are up for the Hermanus Sevens tournament in February. After coming third last year, they will be aiming for an improved show this year.

The Under-20 team is bracing for the Rugby Africa Barthes Under-20 Trophy.

“We have got a big Under-20 tournament that’s coming up again in Kenya. We won that tournament so we are the defending champions. So we are hoping to go there and do very well.

“Straight after that we have got Sevens Challenger Series happening in Cape Town with our national men’s sevens team going there to play the Challenger Series back to back… So that’s mid-April.

“Straight after that we have got our Currie Cup with the 15s men’s team that is going to be basing in South Africa.

“We are hoping to go there and play for eight weeks. So we are running around now, putting the resources together, human and financial and trying to get that whole team set-up.

“And on the women’s, we have got Hermanus which is end of February. We went last year and came third. We are hoping to go back now and do better.

“And as soon as we come back from that we will then start preparing for our local sevens tournaments, which there is quite a few. There is the Zambezi Challenge and we are also looking forward to doing the Vic Falls Sevens,” Mtongwiza said.

The ZRU vice-president said some of the tournaments they are hoping to be part of this year are still being finalised.

Besides the Currie Cup, the Sables also have the Africa Cup to look forward to and the ZRU are also hoping to host the Netherlands in the 15s.

The two teams met last year in Amsterdam with Zimbabwe emerging as the winners.