The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
2015 turned out to be a bad year for Zimbabwean sport with the national sevens side the Cheetahs twice missing out on an opportunity which could have changed the game in the country.
Daniel Hondo’s men twice failed to accomplish feats that could have transformed the face of rugby in Zimbabwe. But on both occasions, they came unstuck, throwing it away right at the end.
In March, the Cheetahs travelled to Hong Kong in their quest to become an HSBC World Rugby Sevens core member, a status which comes with participating in all the 10 tournaments on the circuit. The Cheetahs were under the guidance of former Cheetahs player Hondo who took over from Gilbert Nyamutsamba.
At the pool stage, the Cheetahs swept past Guyana 36-0, thrashed Tonga 41-0 before they went down 10-0 to Spain which saw them finish second in their group. In the quarter-finals, Zimbabwe beat Brazil 21-14 and followed that up with a 24-14 victory over Spain to set up a final date with Russia.
The Cheetahs were in front with the buzzer having gone off to signal the end of the match only to let the Russians score and win the match 22-19 earning core membership status at the expense of Zimbabwe. Had Zimbabwe won that match, the game would have completely changed in the country, as World Rugby provides funding to the union to contract players for the whole season.
In November, the Cheetahs had an opportunity to book a spot at the Rio Olympics when they headed into the African qualifier staged at Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, South Africa. The Cheetahs had to do without skipper Hilton Mudariki who was ruled out by a hamstring injury which saw veteran Jacques Leitao being recalled to lead the team.
Zimbabwe topped their pool with a 100 percent record having despatched Nigeria 31-12, clobbered Zambia 48-0 and saw off Uganda 43-0.
In the last eight, Zimbabwe were to meet the Nigerians again, this time the Cheetahs romping to a 31-10 victory. Morocco were waiting in the semifinals but the Cheetahs made light work of the North Africans with a 26-0 triumph.
The final between Zimbabwe and Kenya was what had been anticipated from the beginning of the two day tournament. Just like what they had done early in the year against Russia, the Cheetahs led going into the dying moments of the match only to throw it away right at the conclusion of the match.
Zimbabwe dominated their much more fancied opponents who had brought their best team for the qualifiers. The Cheetahs kept the pressure up to lead 12-7 heading into the break. Their star player Tafadzwa Chitokwindo seemed to have sealed a place for his team in Brazil with a moment of pure individual brilliance, his try giving Zimbabwe a 17-14 lead.
Kenya did not give up and from the kick off, the east Africans kept the ball alive, one or two passes later, the ball found itself in the hands of Dennis Ombachi. He left Chitokwindo on the ground with a massive hand off, even Kilvan Magunje with a fresh pair of legs could not catch up with the Kenyan who went on to score to give his team a 21-17 victory.
All hope is not lost for the Cheetahs as they still stand a chance of going to the Olympics but the situation is tougher than they faced in South Africa. Zimbabwe, joined by Morocco as well as Tunisia from the African continent now head into a repachage qualifier to be staged between 18 June and 19 June in Monaco.
Zimbabwe’s women going to a similar qualifying event in Ireland to be played on 25 June and 26 June after Abigail Kawonza’s girls took fourth spot in the African qualifier in South Africa in September.
The year ended on a disappointment note for the Cheetahs when they lost all the five matches they played at the South African leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series staged at the Cape Town Stadium on 12 to 13 December.
For the country’s flagship team the Sables, the year 2015 was a difficult one. With Cyprian Mandenge in charge after taking over from Brendan Dawson, they started off their Africa Cup Division 1A with a hard fought 28-20 triumph over Kenya, a match played on the Prince Edward School’s Jubilee Field in June. They followed that up with yet another unimpressive 19-8 conquest over Tunisia again at PE.
With such an unconvincing display in the two matches at home, Zimbabwe got thrashed 80-6 by Namibia in Windhoek in what is one of the heaviest defeats suffered by the Sables. The Namibians, then gearing up for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, defended their Africa Cup title with Zimbabwe settling for second spot.
The year concluded in more anguish for Mandenge and his troops when they lost all the three matches they played at the Hong Kong Four Nations Cup held in Hong Kong from 13 to 21 November.
Zimbabwe were beaten 30-11 by the host nation, clobbered 50-5 by Russia before they went down 36-11 to Portugal.
What did not help matters was the fact that the Sables did not have a camp prior to the Hong Kong assignment since most of the players are scattered all over the world.
On the juniors’ front, the Zimbabwe Under-18 side had yet another poor show at the annual Coca-Cola Craven Week in South Africa where they lost all the three matches they played in South Africa.
Led by Falcon College hooker Brian Muntanga, the Godwin Murambiwa coached Junior Sables lost their first match 17-12 to Griquas Country Districts, were thumped 51-20, 29-7 by Eastern Province Country Districts and Namibia respectively to return home without a win from the annual event.
The Under-16s fared better at the Grant Khomo Week where they lost 24-17 to Griquas, thumped Border Country Districts and rounded off their participation with a 21-7 triumph over Namibia.
At the Under-13 Craven Week, the Junior Sables were beaten 40-0 by Blue Bulls, lost 15-7 to Griquas, were edged 14-13 by Namibia and drew 14-14 with Free State.
The Zimbabwe Under-18 girls won a lot of hearts at the inaugural South African Rugby Union Under-18 tournament staged in Durban in July. The Nsikelelo Sibanda coached girls’ defied odds with a good display despite their shoddy travelling arrangements.
Zimbabwe beat Eastern Province 12-7, lost 27-0 to Border before they rounded off their participation with a 19-0 win over South Western Districts.
The national Under-19 suffered the misfortune of going down 34-32 to Namibia after extra time in the Africa Cup 1A final match played at Saint George’s College in Harare at the end of August. That result meant Zimbabwe had once again failed to book a spot at the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy since they last qualified in 2012.
While a lot of hard work was put into the game by the players, administrators as well as coaches, the past year proved to be yet another period full of heartbreaks for the game played with an oval shaped ball and the Zimbabwean rugby family will be certain looking forward to better fortunes in 2016.
