Zimbabwe to feature in SARU Women’s Interprovincial competitions
The Zimbabwean women’s team will make their debut in the South African Interprovincial Sevens Competition and the inaugural Girls Under-18 tournament this year, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) announced on Monday.
The dates for the SARU Sevens tournament are yet to be confirmed, while the SARU Girls’ Under-18 tournament will be hosted in Durban from 6 to 10 July.
“We are pleased to welcome Zimbabwe to our women’s interprovincial competitions,” said SARU President Mr Oregan Hoskins.
“We are committed to helping our neighbouring countries grow the game and become more competitive on the field, and the only way to achieve that is through participation in competitions.
“Women’s rugby is growing steadily worldwide in the 15-a-side and Sevens code, and with Women’s Sevens rugby being an Olympic sport from 2016, it makes this opportunity particularly significant for Zimbabwe with an eye on possibly qualifying for the Olympic Games in the future.”
Mr Hoskins said their participation could also be beneficial for SA’s domestic teams as it would introduce fresh competition.
Since the inception of women’s rugby in Zimbabwe, their focus has been mainly on Sevens Rugby, with the national team being regular participants in the Africa Women’s Sevens, formerly known as the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) Sevens. However, their participation in the 15-a-side code at international level has been limited due to their limited resources and player depth.
The inclusion of Zimbabwe’s women’s teams in these competitions follows on the participation of their boys’ teams in the Under-13 Coca-Cola Craven Week, Under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week and the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week.
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