Fixtures

April 7Rwanda v New Zealand

April 8Rwanda v Vanuatu

April 9Rwanda v Singapore

RWANDA women’s beach volleyball team, Africa’s sole representatives, will face New Zealand in the match opener at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games scheduled for April 4-15 in Queensland, Australia.

Rwanda were drawn in Group C alongside New Zealand, Vanuatu and Singapore.

Trainer Christopher Mudahinyuka said they have started preparations for the competition but with non-residential training while they will join residential camp at Rubavu on March 3.

"All players are doing well in training, for now we are training two days a week while next month we will go in camp,” Mudahinyuka said

The trainer added that the team will play a friendly match with Scotland as part of preparations.

P Charlotte Nzayisenga, who plies for league champions Rwanda Revenue Authority and Mutatsimpundu of APR VC have a good record having claimed the senior continental title after beating 2015 All African Games gold medalists Nigeria in the final of the 2018 Commonwealth Games qualifiers 2-0, in Sierra Leone last October.

Mutatsimpundu and Nzayisenga also won a gold medal at the 2017 CAVB Beach Volleyball Cup in Maputo, Mozambique in May.

In 2012, the duo, while playing at the junior level, won gold at the Africa Championships in Togo but failed to participate in the World Championships in Canada after the hosts denied the Rwandan team entry visas.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw