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Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
THE Sables will only return to action in June next year in the Africa Cup, spending 11 months on the international sidelines. The Zimbabwe senior national rugby team last played an international match in a World Cup qualifier play-off tie against Russia at the end of July.

The Sables were this weekend expected to be in Windhoek for a tri-angular series tournament that included Germany but the ZRU did not have funds to send the team to Windhoek.

Namibia, too, preferred to play higher-ranked sides on the International Rugby Board world rankings as they prepare for the World Cup.

Namibia qualified for the World Cup when they won the Africa Cup, after beating Zimbabwe in a close contest in Madagascar.

The Namibians will embark on a month-long tour of Europe where they will play Canada in Colwyn Bay, Wales next week before engaging France and Portugal.

This has left Zimbabwe with only the Africa Cup as their confirmed fixture.

Meanwhile, the first leg of the 2014 edition of the local Sevens Summer Series gets underway tomorrow in Harare and Bulawayo with Mutare Sports Club set to compete in the capital while Gweru Sports Club will be in Bulawayo.

The best six teams from Harare and the top four teams from Bulawayo will meet next week in the second leg of the competition.

The top six teams from the second round will make it for the national finals set for November 15 in Harare.

The series is also being used as a platform to select local players for the Sevens Africa Cup set for Harare Sports Club at the end of November which will feature 11 other continental teams.

Sevens Summer Series Fixtures
Harare: Dragons v ZRP (11am), Old Hararians v University of Zimbabwe (11.20am), OGs II v Southern City (11.40am), Harare Sports Club v Mabvuku (12pm), Dragons v Sports Club II (12.20pm), OH v Mbare (12.40pm), OGs v North Academy (1pm), Sports Club v Mutare (1.20pm), Sports Club II v ZRP (1.40pm), Mbare v UZ (2pm), North Academy v Southern City (2.20pm), Mutare v Mabvuku (2.40pm).

Bulawayo: Western Panthers, Mat’land Busters, Old Miltonians, Western Surburbs, Gweru Sports club, Shabanie, Police Bulldogs, Southern Region Academy.