13 Mar 2014

The Botswana Rugby Union (BRU) A-Division 2014 season continues with only one match on Saturday, March 15.

Defending champions Gaborone Hogs will clash with BDF Cheetahs in what is expected to be an entertaining encounter. The Hogs are traditionally the dominating force of local rugby, while the army men are one of the strongest teams in the league.

Cheetahs, without a league title since the end of the 2007 season, have made clear their intention of ending their drought for silverware this season by crushing Tuskers 29-9 last week.

The Hogs on the other hand were not in action when the new season commenced last weekend. They will therefore be aiming to get their title defence off to a positive start, making their meeting with Cheetahs a tough encounter.

The second match was supposed to pit EMG Gunners from Selebi Phikwe against the league’s bottom team Mochudi Rugby Club. However, the match was in doubt by Thursday morning as the Mochudi club had informed Gunners that they would not be able to honour the fixture.

The Mochudi club president Kagiso Maruping said they were hamstrung by too many injuries incurred in their game against Ryders. He added that they were also facing challenges of lack of transport, therefore they had communicated with the BRU requesting for the rescheduling of their fixture.

The secretary general of BRU Jerome Alabu confirmed receiving the request from Mochudi Rugby Club. He however said the union had not taken a decision concerning the issue.

Mochudi, which finished last season at the bottom of the standings, was thrashed 37-0 by the league’s new boys Ryders. In an effort to make it more exciting and competitive, the BRU has changed the league format from how it used to be.

It will now be played in two rounds, the first and second round with teams playing each other on home and away basis.

Before, it was played in a round robin, then the semifinal and final stages. The league has also been expanded from five to seven teams after the acceptance of Ryders and Tuskers into the A-Division.

The season will end on August 30 and the team that will have accumulated the most points shall be crowned automatic champions. Ends