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Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe national sevens rugby team, the Cheetahs, go hunting for silverware at the South African edition of the HSBC World Sevens Series at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth today and tomorrow.

Zimbabwe, the only non core member country at the 16-team tournament, have been drawn in pool B where they will come up against Australia, Argentina and Portugal.

All their pool matches take place today.

The first opponents for the Cheetahs at 11:36 Zimbabwean time today are Argentina, the second match for Zimbabwe is against Australia and the last pool match will see them up against Portugal.

Depending on how they do in their pool matches, Zimbabwe will then proceed to the quarter-finals of the the Cup, Plate, Bowl or Shield.

Coach Gilbert Nyamutsamba does not fear any of their opponents at the pool stage and has declared that he has full confidence that his players can triumph against all the teams they have drawn against in the preliminary stages of the event.

“I’m a coach who totally believes in his team, no matter who are playing. I send my boys with the belief of playing good and wanting to win, odds are against us. All the teams at this tournament are rated way above us,’’ said Nyamutsamba.

Led by Jacques Leitao, captain of the national sevens rugby team since 2006, the Cheetahs have vast experience in the form of Fortune Chipendu, Graham Kaulback, Njabulo Ndlovu, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo and Wesley Mbanje. These old horses should be complemented by the exploits of Stephan Hunduza, Boyd Rouse, Kilvan Magunje, Kudakwashe Chiwanza, Hilton Mudariki and Shayne Makombe.

From the team which did national duty in the Africa Cup, two players were left out. Gardner Nechironga and Rian O’Neil made way for Chiwanza and Mudariki.

Nechironga’s non availability has been established as an issue with his overstaying in South Africa where he spends most of the time of the year playing club rugby.

The immensely experienced Nechironga had initially been named in the 12-man squad for the trip but was withdrawn when his situation became known to the team management with his place in the final squad taken by Kaulback who had originally been dropped when the team was named last Saturday.

Zimbabwe Cheetahs squad in South Africa

Jacques Leitao (captain), Fortune Chipendu, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Njabulo Ndlovu, Stephan Hunduza, Boyd Rouse, Wesley Mbanje, Graham Kaulback, Kilvan Magunje, Shayne Makombe, Hilton Mudariki(vice-captain), Kudakwashe Chiwanza

Head Coach: Gilbert Nyamutsamba

Assistant Coach: Daniel Hondo

Team Manager: Steve McDonald

Fixtures in Zimbabwean time

Today: Zimbabwe v Argentina (11:36), Zimbabwe v Australia (14:30), Zimbabwe v Portugal (17:48)