Cheetahs World Cup preps in limbo
CHEETAHS coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba is a disappointed man as Zimbabwe’s preparations for the 2018 Rugby Sevens World Cup have stalled, four months before the global showcase bursts into life in San Francisco, in the United States.
Nyamutsamba’s charges will be one of four African countries at the 24-nation jamboree scheduled for July 20-22.
The others are Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.
But, instead of celebrating this feat, the Cheetahs coach is saddened by the slow pace that has characterised his team’s build-up to the World Cup.
Nyamutsamba yesterday told The Herald of the frustrations he has had to endure as he seeks to ensure that Zimbabwe will not just be in the United States to make up the numbers.
The Coach of the Year said he had also observed with concern that Zimbabweans had a poor culture of leaving preparations for major sporting competitions until the 11th hour.
“The sad fact is when it comes to actual preparations, I don’t think as a nation, in all our sporting disciplines anyway, we actually appreciate how much should go into preparations.
“Everyone expects results but when it is time to actually prepare for those results I think we all lag behind.
“So all the hype about qualification has died and no-one has really come to the party to actually assist with the team as far as preparing for the World Cup.
“We haven’t seen anything from the corporate world…anything new. We haven’t seen anything from government and this a team that is four months from actually taking part at the World stage.
“That’s the sad part and that’s the unfortunate part and I am convinced that a week or so before the tournament starts that’s when the hype will again start but by then it will be too late,’’ Nyamutsamba said.
The Zimbabwe coach had rolled out a training programme that would culminate in the Cheetahs taking part in some tournaments outside the country and which sandwiched some intensive training camps within and out of the borders.
But two major preparatory programmes have already suffered a still birth with Nyamutsamba’s bid to have a training camp in Cape Town hamstrung by lack of finances.
To compound the Cheetahs woes, one of the tournaments they were hoping to use as part of their preparations — the Sun City event in South Africa — has also been called off.
“We are really behind…the cancelation of our intended Cape Town training camp, and later on cancellation of the Sun City tournament, really set us back.
“The camp and the tournament were meant to help with final player identification, and get to try the tournament situation. Our plan now is to bring in 30 players to camp on the 19th of March as we prepare for the Victoria Falls tournament.
“We will then take 24 players to Victoria Falls, after which 18 players will stay in camp in preparation for the Hong Kong tournament and from that 12 players will travel,’’ Nyamutsamba said.
Although brewing giants Delta Beverages, through their Zambezi Lager brand, have chipped in with a $100 000 package for 2017 and 2018, including the Victoria Falls Sevens, it is common knowledge that the Cheetahs need more resources in order for them to have adequate preparations.
With Nyamutsamba crying foul over their poor preparations, the Zimbabwe Rugby Union and the Sevens Committee, would need to also step up their act in sourcing for resources for the Cheetahs.
Government also pledged support for the Cheetahs when hosting a dinner for them on their return from the Africa Cup in October last year while the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee had also indicated they would explore ways to assist.
Ironically, it all seemed to be promising on the weekend of January 13-14 when Nyamutsamba was left a satisfied man as Zimbabwe got their Rugby Sevens World Cup preparations off to a start with the staging of the first of a series of training camps at Harare Sports Club.
Nyamutsamba began the camp with a 30-man squad of hopefuls on a Saturday, but by the end of the following day he had trimmed it down to 20 with the seasoned coach indicating that the programme he had drawn was not just targeting the Word Cup but encompassed preparations for the Africa Cup, the Hong Kong Sevens and also ensuring there is a strong Under-20 side.