Arrows Start Sevens Tourney Defence

4 June 2011

RED Arrows start their defence of the M and E Trading Bonnie Mutale Sevens rugby tournament title this morning with a tricky Group A match against Prisons at Diggers grounds in Nkana West, Kitwe.

Favourites Arrows are hoping to add more silverware to their cabinet having bagged the Ndola Sevens crown last weekend when they defeated town mates “Powerhouse” Lusaka in a thrilling final.

The Zambia Air Force (ZAF)-sponsored outfit will also battle it out with fellow service team Green Eagles and Chibuluma who form Group A. Hosts Diggers have been drawn in Group D where they will play Copperbelt University (CBU), Kitwe Playing Field (KPF) and Nkwazi with the “students” being their first opponents.

Group B features Lusaka, Roan, Kansanshi and Diggers B while Ndola, Green Buffaloes, Northern Technical College (Nortech) and Mufulira complete Group C. Diggers secretary, Chileshe Bweupe said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that M and E Trading have been given naming rights for the second edition of the tournament after contributing about 70 percent of what the organisers had budgeted for event. Bweupe said Diggers was greatly indebted to M and E Trading and supporting sponsors Mopani Copper Mines, MTN Zambia, Manzi Valley and

JVC Limited for bankrolling the one-day tournament. The tournament, which was inaugurated last year, is held in honour of Diggers life member Bonnie Mutale who had a long illustrious career as a Diggers player starting in 1967. Mutale was one of the first indigenous Zambians to have penetrated in the all-whites Diggers side.

AllAfrica – All the Time