Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema-Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHEN Piet Benade stepped off the plane at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport last week, the moment finally hit him.
Zimbabwe’s national rugby team, the Sables, had just defended their Rugby Africa Cup title, and punched their ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
A decade of frustration was suddenly washed away in the chaos of airport celebrations, horn blasts and the kind of joy that only sport can spark in a nation hungry for good news.
“It had not sunk in fully, but it’s starting to now,” said Benade. “We could feel it online, you know, but once you see the people and the happiness that we have managed to give them, it gives you a very special feeling.”
For Benade, the achievement is already a springboard, not a destination.
Over the next 15 months, he will be tasked with shaping a side not just fit to compete on rugby’s biggest stage, but capable of earning Zimbabwe a seat among the sport’s consistent contenders.
And he knows it will not be easy.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup might seem a distant dot on the horizon, kicking off on October 1 and running through November 13, but preparation starts now. And it starts fast.
“The opposition we face now will be very different, and our preparations are going to have to take a few steps up,” said Benade. “2027 is not that far away.”
The Sables’ path to Australia came through a tense, but triumphant run through the Africa Cup.
They dominated Morocco 43-8, edged Kenya 29-23, and then outlasted tournament favourites Namibia 30-28 in the final. The title defence was not just about silverware; it came with a golden ticket.
By winning, Zimbabwe joined defending champions South Africa as Africa’s automatic qualifiers.
Namibia now faces a longer road: first needing to beat the United Arab Emirates in a playoff, then battle through the repechage tournament in November, which includes teams from South America, Europe and the Pacific.
That is someone else’s problem. Zimbabwe, for once, can breathe.
“We’ve laid a foundation, one strong enough that we can continue qualifying,” said Benade.
“Namibia have had their turn. We now have to make sure that ours is not just a once-off.”
That is not to say the team is set. While Zimbabwe’s current crop proved they can win at this level, the World Cup is another beast entirely.
Benade is already looking at the big picture.
“We’ve become a consistently good team,” he said.
“If we play our cards right, then hopefully we’ll have our own 30 years of qualification and funding.”
That kind of vision means building a squad that balances youth, experience and hunger. Age will be a factor, some of the squad’s key players are nudging 30 or already there, but Benade is far from closing the door.
“If we can manage them, get them even fitter and stronger, then nobody will be excluded just based on age,” he said. “Most of them just played well and beat a team that’s been at the World Cup, with players who’ve played a couple of World Cups. For the moment, their performances are still good.”
At the same time, he is encouraging fresh faces to stake their claim.
“We won’t exclude anybody,” said Benade.
“Because we’ve now qualified, players may want to join us, and we encourage it. If this was the little portal or the door to open for more people to become available, then it’s a very positive thing.”
It is clear he wants to cast a wide net, and that the 2027 squad will be built through competition, not comfort. Before the hard work begins, Benade and his players took a deserved victory lap, literally.
The team paraded their Africa Cup trophy through the streets of Harare, cheered on by crowds that have not had many sporting heroes to celebrate in recent years.
Flanked by captain Hilton Mudariki, sponsors Nedbank Zimbabwe and officials from the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), the team made a symbolic return to the people, the same fans they fight for every time they take the field.
“It’s been special,” Benade said, reflecting on the scenes. “The happiness we gave them . . . it’s something else.”
But the job is not done. Not even close.
“This tournament was our focus for so long. Now, of course, we have to shift towards the future and what we’ll need,” he said. “Very soon, we’ll figure out what’s required, who we’ll start playing, and what games we can organise.”
His goal? Zimbabwe stepping into the arena with rugby’s tier-two nations, testing themselves against stronger sides and earning their place.
“The hope is that we start slipping into the proper tier-2 teams and seeing if we can cope,” he said. “But that’s a story for another day.”
If Benade has one mission, it is to ensure that 2027 is not a fluke, it is the start of something bigger. He is already looking to the next tournament, and the one after that.
“This isn’t just about qualifying once. It’s about building something that lasts,” he said.
The Sables, for all their history, have long been cast in the shadow of African rugby’s giants. But with a coach who is both pragmatic and ambitious, and a nation finally daring to dream, Zimbabwe might just be on the cusp of a rugby rebirth.
For now, they will take the win. But do not expect them to stand still for long.
“We’ll enjoy this achievement,” said Benade.
“Then we get to work.”
