The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
Deputy Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE Cheetahs coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba had a Damascus moment, somewhere in-between his charges’ trip from Chile to Uruguay where the team is currently on tour for the first two legs of the on-going World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.
Speaking from the team’s base in Uruguay where they are currently taking part in the second leg of the challenger series, Nyamutsamba gave an honest but frank opinion of his side’s performance last weekend in Chile and the state of the sport in the country.
Zimbabwe is fast getting left behind, and a serious rethink is needed.
“The game of sevens is rapidly growing, since the game became an Olympic sport, with more and more countries taking an interest in the shorter version of the game.
“Even second-tier countries have invested heavily in their sevens programmes and it’s now showing on the pitch.
“As much as we try to compete and match, it’s evident that a game is beginning to emerge and growing fast. The growth rates of Germany, Italy, Chile, Hong Kong and Japan are starting to show and we are slowly, but surely, getting left behind.
“And, yes; it’s a matter of funding.
“Realistically, we are a few years from making the series, and until, Sevens programmes — including a sevens league in Zimbabwe — are introduced, the gap between other second-tier teams and us will keep stretching,” Nyamutsamba said.
The Cheetahs survived the first leg by the skin of their teeth in Chile, where they finished sixth out of the top-eight required to proceed to the next stage in Uruguay.
Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and hosts Chile finished in the top four positions respectively.
On the team’s performance in Chile, Nyamutsamba said: “Overall, I was satisfied with the performance; we had some good wins — and some very close games —but I am happy we managed to compete and stand our ground.
“The sixth position keeps us within our target of finishing in the top eight, and that will be the target here in Uruguay.
“A top eight finish at the end of the two-series tournament means we qualify for the next round, and that will be good for us, as it keeps the team active.
“Competing at these high-level tournaments can only improve us as a team,’’ he said. The Uruguay leg of the series began yesterday, towards dusk, and is expected to run into late this afternoon.
Nyamutsamba retained the same side he travelled with to Chile and said he expects the Uruguay tourney to be even tougher.
“It’s definitely going to be tough, playing back-to-back tournaments, as it demands a level of conditioning which is one department our team is still lagging behind.
“The same team travelled to Uruguay, without any changes, as logistics would not allow us to change.
“That said the players that we used on this tour deserve to finish it off, and I have every confidence that they will,’’ Nyamutsamba said.
