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Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Cheetahs team will take part in the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series to try and secure their ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The Olympic repêchage for the June 2020 Olympic Games will have Zimbabwe, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Mexico, Tonga and Uganda.
They have all qualified as the best teams from their regions.

Colombia, Mexico and Paraguay have been selected as invitational teams..
The two legs of the inaugural World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series will be in South America in Viña del Mar, Chile, on February 15 and 16 and Montevideo, Uruguay on February 22 and 23. The final play-off tournament will be hosted alongside the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event in Hong Kong from April 3-5, 2020.

Zimbabwe are among 13 nations that earned their place in the Challenger Series by finishing as the top-ranked nations, who are not already competing in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, in their regional sevens competitions in 2019. The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series is a new and exciting international rugby sevens competition, which will be launched in February 2020, to boost rugby sevens’ development across the globe.

“We are thrilled to launch the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in a pivotal year for rugby sevens ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said.

“Rugby sevens continues to attract new fans around the globe with its fast-paced, athletic and highly skilled format.
“The new Sevens Challenger Series will help develop the next generation of players and bring international sevens events to new nations, further growing the popularity of our Olympic sport around the world.”

Rugby Sevens made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016, with Tokyo 2020 set to be its second appearance.
“This announcement is just the beginning for the Sevens Challenger Series, which will also see a women’s competition launched in 2020 and will evolve to feature more rounds across the globe as it grows and develops in future years,” said Mark Egan, World Rugby head of competitions and performance.

“The competition will allow unions outside of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to compete on a more regular basis with a clear pathway to the highest level.

“Launching next year will provide an excellent platform for nations to develop and improve their competitiveness ahead of Tokyo 2020 and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in South Africa.”