Botswana Rugby Union (BRU) spokesperson, Bob Lekan said this is the second time the juniors have been invited for the tournament. He said the organisers normally invite developing nations and Botswana has been invited with Namibia. Lekan said at the end of the tournament, one player from the invited teams who performs well, would be selected for sponsorship to study and play rugby at the North West University. He revealed that the sponsorship is R20,000 each year. He said none of the Botswana players was selected last year as the team performed below par. He revealed that this time, they hope to pull a surprise as they have assembled a good team.
Lekan said being invited for the tournament is a good thing. He explained that such tournaments help players gain exposure. "Teams like Namibia are very good and playing them will give our players a good training," he told Mmegi Sport yesterday. Zee Khumalo, the Botswana coach believes their performance will improve this year. He said they had enough time to train unlike last year where they got the invitation on a short notice. The team goes to camp today. He said they have been training for three weeks. He explained that the mood is very high in the camp and the boys are rearing to go. "Our preparations are much better this time round and we hope to have one of our players selected for the sponsorship," he said. He added that they would beef up the team they used last year for the tournament. "The boys really know what to expect when they get there," he said.
Meanwhile, the senior national team leaves for Zimbabwe over the weekend for a friendly game against a Matebele Land side as part of preparations for the Confederation of African Rugby regional cup. The Castle Beer Cup-sponsored tournament south B pool will be held in Gaborone at the University of Botswana from July 16-22. Countries expected to take part are Mauritius, Swaziland and Re-Union. Zambia is yet to confirm participation.
