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‘We didn’t get the rub of the green’: Ricky says his bronze medalists deserved better at Africa Sevens Cup

  • Writer: vimbayi makwavarara
    vimbayi makwavarara
  • Jun 23
  • 3 min read

BY SPORTSCAST WRITER


HARARE – Zimbabwe head coach Ricky Chirengende reckons his bronze medal-winning team was the second-best performing side behind winners South Africa at the just-ended Rugby Africa Sevens Cup in Mauritius, despite Madagascar reaching the final and finishing second.


Impressive Zimbabwe failed to proceed to the final after losing 19-12 to South Africa’s reserve side in the semis on the last day on Sunday, but Chirengende’s men had beaten Madagascar in their pool to finish with a 100 percent record in the group stage on Saturday.


Madagascar’s closely-contested 14-10 victory over Kenya in their own semi-final meant they qualified for the third division of prestigious SVNS global competition, despite losing the Africa Sevens Cup final 28-12 to the South Africans in Port Louis.


Before the final Zimbabwe had staged a late comeback to beat Kenya 21-19 in the third-place playoff to get the bronze, but Chirengende felt his team deserved better from the competition.


“I think we performed well, we were definitely the second best team,” Chirengende told SportsCast from Port Louis on Sunday.


“Obviously we just got pipped by South Africa, but that was the only game we lost and ja, everyone else definitely lost two games or more. So we were definitely one of the better teams. I can’t say we really lacked anywhere, it was just, we were just unfortunate against South Africa, we didn’t have the rub of the green there in that game. So I think we did well for a team that probably had about three or four sessions together (before the tournament) but we had quality. I think we did well.”


Besides taking charge of the Sevens outfit, Chirengende is also the assistant coach of Zimbabwe in the premier version of the game.


The Sables will play in the Africa Cup of the fuller format in Uganda between 8 and 19 July, a hugely anticipated tournament that will serve as Africa’s 2027 World Cup qualifier.  To help with preparations for that, Zimbabwe sent six Sables star players to the Sevens competition in Mauritius.


Chirengende was pleased wit the outcome of that experiment.


“It was valuable game-time, you know guys like (Tapiwa) Mafura and Blithe (Tino Mavesere) needed a lot of game-time,” he remarked.


“With two days of high intensity and six games of high intensity (in Mauritius), it is just going to bode well for the time they get to Fifteens. I think overall I’m hap

Key members of the Sables who featured for Zimbabwe at the Rugby Africa Sevens Cup pose with their bronze medals in Port Louis on Sunday. From left: Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, Ed Sigauke, Tino Mavesere, Trevor Gurwe, Dion Khumalo and Tapiwa Mafura.
Key members of the Sables who featured for Zimbabwe at the Rugby Africa Sevens Cup pose with their bronze medals in Port Louis on Sunday. From left: Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, Ed Sigauke, Tino Mavesere, Trevor Gurwe, Dion Khumalo and Tapiwa Mafura.

py. Overall, we play to win and get the main prize. But I’m just happy we got together a team that came to compete and it was regarded as one of the better teams in the tournament.”


One of the Sables aces that travelled to Mauritius, backliner Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, didn’t feature on the final day of the Sevens, raising some speculation over his absence from the side.


Chirengende explained Mudzekenyedzi’s nonappearance: “Brandon had a slight knee strain on the first day, so we decided not to risk him. But for us to do that well with 11 players is testament to what we can do.”

 

 

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