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SA teams dominate SPAR Sevens

Sport
SOUTH African teams dominated the SPAR Zimbabwe International Sevens tournament leaving defending champions, Zimbabwe’s senior Sevens rugby team, the Cheetahs, to settle for third place on the final day of the two-day tournament at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

SOUTH African teams dominated the SPAR Zimbabwe International Sevens tournament leaving defending champions, Zimbabwe’s senior Sevens rugby team, the Cheetahs, to settle for third place on the final day of the two-day tournament at Harare Sports Club yesterday. The Cheetahs, who were hoping to defend the title they won last year, were knocked out in the semi-finals of the main Cup final by the South African Elite Player Development Team.

REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

The result saw the Cheetahs drop to the Plate Final (third place playoff) where they took on the Kenyan second string side, Shujaah, whom they beat 7-0 to restore some lost pride in front of their fans who came in their numbers despite the wet weather.

Exciting playmaker Tangai Nemadire scored and converted the lone try in the match against the physical Shujaah.

The Cheetahs, however, ended up being mere spectators of the main Cup final which ended up being an all-South African contest pitting South Africa’s Elite Player Development Team against the Leopards with the former winning the one-sided final 42-0.

Earlier, Gilbert Nyamutsamba’s men were a pale shadow of their usual self in the cup semi-final, missing several tackles and struggling with their ball handling and were duly punished by a well drilled SA Sevens Academy side who won the match 7-12.

Shujaah, who were also one of the pre-tournament favourites, had earlier been surprisingly knocked out by the South African Leopards team 10-14 in an earlier Cup semi-final match.

It was not all doom and gloom for the local teams as the Cheetahs’ development side the Goshawks showed there is some talent coming from the ranks by beating last year’s losing cup finalists the SA Buffaloes side to win the Shield Final 17-12.

The Mbare Academy side, one of the success stories of junior rugby development in Zimbabwe, lived up to their billing by beating highly rated Prince Edward side 12-7.

SPAR Zimbabwe International Sevens Consolidated Results Cup Final — South Africa’s Elite Player Development Team 42 Leopards 0 Plate Final — Cheetahs 7 Shujaah 0 Bowl Final — Hong Kong 21 Georgia 19 Shield Final — Goshawks 17 SA Buffaloes Schools Sevens Competition Cup Final — Mbare Academy 12 Prince Edward 7 Plate Final — Churchill 10 Eaglesvale 5 Bowl Final — 7 Hellenic 34 Shield Final — 10 Vainona 24