Chronicle EditorInnocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) has announced the cancellation of the Victoria Cup game against the Cranes of Uganda which was scheduled for tomorrow.
In a statement, ZRU did not go into detail on the actual reasons leading to the shelving of the game.
“We regret to inform the nation that the Victoria Cup game against the Uganda Cranes at the Kyadondo Stadium in Kampala, has been shelved. This is due to circumstances beyond our immediate control.
“We however remain hopeful that this game will be played at a later date convenient to both unions. The Zimbabwe Goshawks team stands ready to fulfill the fixture should the variables at play turn out favourable,” read the statement.
The Victoria Cup is a rugby tournament contested by the four African nations of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe as of its birth in 2019.
After a seven-year hiatus, the competition was revived following Rugby Africa’s cancellation of the Africa Gold Cup in 2019 due to sponsorship loss.
In 2010 and 2011, the Victoria Cup was played as a tri-nations tournament between Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda on a double round-robin basis, with the teams playing home and away.
The competition was discontinued in 2012 after Uganda and Zimbabwe withdrew due to financial difficulties.
The Cup is named after Lake Victoria in Kenya and the Victoria Falls.
The Victoria cup comes as great news for rugby fans who were left devastated with the cancellation of the annual Elgon cup.
This year’s edition was meant to only feature Zimbabwe and Uganda.
Kenya and Zambia decided not to participate in this year’s edition, Kenya highlighting financial issues and Zambia facing the same.
-@innocentskizoe
Online Reporter