05 Aug 2013

Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Cheetahs are this year’s Rugby Sevens champions in both the male and female categories.

The one-day tournament, held at Duma FM grounds in Gaborone North on Sunday, was characterised by a low turn-out of teams, but organisers still hailed it as a success.

Apart from the hosts and EMG Gunners, the tournament was also attended by B-Division clubs Riders (Botho University), Gideons, NIIT and Jwaneng Rugby Club. In the female category, Cheetahs ladies, Hogs, Riders and BCA competed.

The recently crowned A-Division champions, Cheetahs, dominated the competition and easily qualified for the semi-finals in the men’s category. They advanced to the final after scoring four unanswered tries to beat Riders 20-0.

In the final, Cheetahs faced fellow A-Division campaigners, EMG Gunners who had beaten Gideons 19-5 in the other semi-final. However, the match quickly turned into a one-sided affair as the hosts went on the rampage and trounced the Selebi Phikwe team 33-5 to be crowned champions.

Cheetahs went ahead through captain Botswelelo Motsiane’s early try, and Oneal Tumelo converted to make the score 7-0.  Another try by Atamelang Rannyena and conversion by Tumelo widened the lead to 12-0, but Gunners reduced the deficit through Ntshupetsang Kholani’s try.

However, player of the tournament Kagiso Molefhi’s try and another conversion by Tumelo saw Cheetahs establish a 19-5 halftime lead. Cheetahs piled more misery onto their beleaguered opponents in the second-half by scoring two more tries through Shamakwa James and Molefhi to leave Gunners well beaten.

They were awarded the champions trophy and gold medal for their triumph, while Gunners got bronze medals for their efforts. Cheetahs were also dominant in the female category which was played in a round-robin.

The army women finished with 11 points to claim top spot over second-placed BCA who had six. Riders finished a distant third with three points, while fourth-placed finishers Gaborone Hogs ended the tournament without a point.

Riders’ young full-back Habiba Dithupa was voted player of the tournament in the female category. Meanwhile, Botswana Rugby Union (BRU) used the tournament to select a provisional national team for the up-coming international sevens competitions. 

Sixteen male players including eight from Cheetahs were selected in the provisional squad. Selection will continue this weekend at the Hogs Sevens Tournament.  ENDS