Dar Leopards Rugby team will have a preseason match against a French navy side at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) grounds on Sunday.
The match, which is programmed to start at 4pm, will provide the opportunity for the Leopards to warm-up for their match against the Arusha Rhinos to start the season next month.
Their opponents on Sunday are actually members from a team on board a visiting French Navy ship, which is expected to be docking into the Dar es Salaam port this weekend.
“For us it’s an opportunity to test our levels and make sure everything is in place before going into our first official rugby game of our cup this season. We encourage local rugby fans to come out in their numbers to encourage their side,” the Leopards’ Chairman, Philippe Poinsot, told the ‘Daily News on Saturday’ on Friday.
He confirmed that Sunday’s encounter will be a full combat game, which he is expecting to have many tries. Seeing that his team has been working hard on all the various stages of the game, he added makes him confident of the Leopard’s being victorious and winning the match, although he expects the visitors to give them a big fight.
“Such preseason matches are extremely important to the team because you can train as much as you want but the proof of the pudding, as they say, is when you get the chance to face an adversary and see whether or not you can bring out what is required to get the tries,” he said.
The actual rugby season starts on the eight of next month and he is pleased the team will get this opportunity on Sunday to test their ability after months of training. With regards to the visitors, Sunday’s game will give them the chance to flex their muscles after months at sea. It will also give a chance for the new players who have joined the Leopards side this season to show how they work as a team.
By IMAN MANI, Tanzania Daily News
