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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
WHILE Zimbabwe plunge into action today against Mexico in their opening encounter at the Tokyo Olympics Sevens Rugby final qualifier in Monaco today, it has emerged that all is not well in the Cheetahs camp.

Questions have been raised how senior players were omitted from the final squad that travelled to Monaco.

Zimbabwe will field an inexperienced team in such a crucial tournament where a ticket to the Olympics is at stake.

Among those left out of the Cheetahs’ squad is captain Stephan Hunduza.

Boyd Rouse has been appointed captain to lead a team full of youngsters, most of who have never played this version of the game at international level.

Zimbabwe take on Mexico today and then face Ireland, Samoa and Tonga.

The senior players are said to have pulled out in solidarity with the unfair treatment they felt Hunduza received by being dropped for no clearly articulated reason.

They wrote a letter to the Zimbabwe Sevens technical team to express their displeasure at what they believe are unjust practices, especially after taking time off their busy schedules to commit to the Solidarity Camp that was held in South Africa last month.

Zambia-based Hunduza attended the final training camp from June 6-13 despite having been informed on June 4 that he had been relegated to a non-travelling reserve.

“Not in our lifetime and in yours too (we would presume), have we ever had the captain degraded to such levels before, to the extent whereby “management” can freely express his ousting on the field for no particular reason (known to us that is). Such undermining of that prestigious position does not help him take charge of the team, especially when done in the eyes of the rookies,” reads part of the letter by the senior players.

The senior players made it clear that they were not seeking to influence team selection, but were not pleased by the lack of transparency by team management.

Coach Daniel Hondo seems not to be in charge of the team if the players’ claims are true.

Hondo is said to have informed senior players that he was even contemplating withdrawing. The players state that whoever has control of the team is not doing so for the betterment of the Cheetahs’ brand, but for personal aggrandisement.

Besides Rouse, only Kudzai Mashawi, Godknows Mavara, Brandon Boshi, Nelson Madida, Shingirai Katsvere, Martin Mangongo have tasted international action with the Cheetahs before.

In reality, only Rouse and Madida can be called experienced as the rest are still novices in the shorter version of the game.

Sam Phiri, Munopa Muneta, Ryan Musumhi, Godfrey Magaramombe and Munesu Muneta will all be making their international debuts in Monaco.

Biselele Tshamala, Connor Pritchard, Tapiwa Tsomondo, Kudakwashe Chiwanza, Ngoni Chibuwe, Katsvere, Tafadzwa Chitokwindo, Njabulo Ndlovu, Hilton Mudariki, Takudzwa Kumadiro, Hunduza, Riaan O’Neill, Martin Mangongo and Tarisai Mugariri were the players that secured qualification for Monaco when the Cheetahs finished third in the 2019 Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens held in South Africa.

Out of all these, only Ndlovu has officially retired. Chitokwindo, Tshamala, O’Neill, Hunduza, were called up for last month’s Rugby Africa Solidarity Cup in South Africa.

Zimbabwe Rugby Union did not respond to written questions. – @Mdawini_29