After achieving qualification on home soil at the weekend, Tunisia will be back on the Rugby World Cup Sevens stage in 2009, hoping that the showpiece event can provide the same catalyst for development that they enjoyed in 2005.
The last time 24 men’s teams assembled for a World Cup Sevens in 2005, Tunisia were arguably the second-ranked contenders from Africa, behind only the Springboks.
In 2004 the North Africans qualified at a canter under Frenchman Claude Saurel and went on to shock the world by beating South Africa on day one of the competition in Hong Kong.
Since the departure of Saurel, momentum has ebbed and Kenya have leapfrogged them in the African pecking order, but both Unions – ranked outside the world’s top 25 in 15-a-side rugby – remain prime examples of how developing rugby nations can use Sevens to generate rapid success on the world stage, and subsequently enthusiasm and playing numbers at home.
The form of old
In 2005 Tunisia not only beat South Africa, they also enjoyed success against France and Wales on the IRB Sevens World Series, reaching the Cup quarter finals in George, South Africa.
In more recent times the ‘giant-killing’ role has been filled by the Kenyans. Benjamin Ayimba’s side beat England three times in the course of the 2007/08 World Series and also recorded notable wins against Australia, Wales and France en route to finishing seventh in the final standings.
With much work done behind closed doors since Saurel’s departure, Tunisia are now hopeful that they can rekindle the form of 2005, starting with the qualifying success on home soil at the weekend.
“We've worked on Sevens since 2004, to build a good team capable of taking part in major tournaments,” said the Tunisian Union’s General Secretary Nejib Boukottaya.
“We achieved our first goal when our team qualified for the 2005 World Cup, giving us the opportunity to play against top nations like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and that achievement helped bring more players into rugby in general and Sevens in particular.”
The two Cup finalists at the weekend – Kenya and Zimbabwe – were guaranteed qualification for Dubai but Tunisia left themselves needing to beat Namibia in the nervy third place playoff for the last available spot. They duly triumphed 26-12, leaving both players and fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
Bold ambitions for 2009
“We beat South Africa at the last Sevens World Cup and now we are aiming to create another upset next year and finish in the top eight,” said playmaker and captain Lotfi Ben M’Sallem. Clearly, the Tunisians are not without ambition.
Their first opportunity to test themselves against the best comes in George, South Africa on the second leg of the 2008/09 IRB Sevens World Series. And indeed they face the very best – New Zealand – with further pool challenges against England and France.
If they emerge from that first day’s play with a win under their belt, the Sevens world will once again sit up and take note. Tunisia will have returned.
