RUGBY

The Lusaka Mosi International 7s Rugby Tournament (now the Castle Sevens)

Played in June each year. the Lusaka Mosi International 7s (now the Castle Sevens) is one of the highlights of the Zambian sporting calendar. Attracting a number of Super 14 teams each year and in the past also attracting the British Army, Samurai, Public School Wanderers and the South African Under 23 squad, the tournament is regarded as the strongest event in Africa outside of SA.

click for a video clip of the 2006 Mosi Lusaka International 7s

Traditionally rugby in Zambia was seen as an expatriate sport, however, over the last 20 years it has become a truly zambian sport with the majority of its players coming up through the schools and local club system. Zambia has an active league that has recently been amended to consist of a super 8 format with a second league comprising of smaller clubs and second teams from the Super 8. The season runs from March to October and consists of a period of time for league matches, a break for 7s rugby, during which the highlight of the season, the Lusaka Mosi International 7s takes place, and the finale, the knock out cup competition.

Although 15s rugby in Zambia is played at a basic level compared to the major rugby playing nations, 7s rugby has become a strong point. The Zambian national team has in the past beaten Italy and Canada and came within 30 seconds of upsetting Australia, in the end narrowly losing 11-12. Zambia has appeared on the international stage, both at the George 7s and the Dubai 7s and has over the last 7 years built its own highly respected 7s tournament in the form of the Lusaka Mosi International 7s. The fact that past winners include the Springbok under 23s and the British Army show the caliber of the entrants and the fact that Zambia has beaten a number of South African Super 14 teams who have participated, shows the caliber of Zambian 7s rugby.

Local Rugby
In Lusaka there are three active rugby clubs. Lusaka Rugby Club, Green Buffaloes (the army team) and Red Arrows (the air force team) all play within Lusaka Showgrounds (see map on the Lusaka Rugby Club page) and both Lusaka Rugby Club and Red Arrows have an active club house with a number of facilities available for members and signed-in guests.

On the Great North Road between Lusaka and the Copperbelt is the town of Kabwe, home of Green Eagles Rugby Club.

The Copperbelt towns all have their own rugby teams with a varying degree of facilities available at each club. Diggers Rugby Club in Kitwe has over the past few years been the most successful of the Copperbelt clubs and is the most active in terms of the number of players and of social activities happening at the club. Nchanga Rugby Club are in Chingola, Roan Rugby Club are in Luanshya, Konkola Rugby Club is in Chilalabombwe and Mufulira, Ndola and Chibuluma each have their own rugby club.

The Season
Most clubs start training in the middle of January ready for the season to begin in March. League matches are played up until the start of June when a break is taken to allow concentration on 7s events. During the months break there are a number of local 7s events including the Rhino 7s in Ndola and the Mosi 7s in Lusaka.

The league continues again in July and generally runs through to October when the knock out cup competition takes place.

2007 League standings