admin
AT every four-year interval, the Rugby World Cup, the ultimate tournament of the sporting discipline is staged in a country that would have been chosen as hosts by World Rugby.
The last World Cup was staged in France in 2023 with South Africa’s Springboks led by captain Siya Kolisi successfully defending the title they had won four years earlier in Japan in which Zimbabwean-born Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira featured prominently for them.
For Zimbabwe’s Sables, it has been 33 years since they graced the Rugby World Cup finals.
Their last appearance at the quadrennial tournament was back at the 1991 edition, co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
Back then Zimbabwe were invited for the African slot while South Africa were under isolation from global international sport due to apartheid.
The 1991 generation of the Sables which included the late Richard Tsimba, Brendon Dawson, Adrian Garvey, Honeywell Nguruve and Andy Ferreira were a fine class and despite the team suffering defeats to Romania (21-20), Scotland (60-21) and France (70-12), a strong platform seemed to have been built for regular appearances for Zimbabwe at the World Cup.
Or so we thought.
Successive tournaments have come and gone with the Sables conspicuous by their absence from the global rugby showpiece.
Instead, in the three decades they have been absent, Zimbabwe have been forced to watch from the television, as South Africa, Namibia and Cote d’Ivoire (1995) have represented the continent at the competition.
Today, the Sables begin yet another attempt at qualifying for the World Cup — the 2027 tournament in Australia.
It is by no means a long qualification road that starts with an Africa Cup clash against Uganda.
Africa Rugby are using the tournament in Uganda to select the eight nations that will go into their main World Cup qualification draw and Zimbabwe can ill-afford to fail to progress beyond this preliminary stage.
As has been the case in many qualification campaigns in the recent past, preparations have been less than ideal.
Yet there had been hopes that the coming in of a new management at the Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) would come with a change in approach.
ZRU’s lethargy had subsequently forced national coach Piet Benade to live within his means and hope for the best.
“We would have preferred a couple of Test matches, and against more competitive sides other than Zambia, but we take what we can,” Benade told this publication.
“The good thing is that we have been in camp for a long time, since January or February, and there has been gradual progress. The two matches we did play against Zambia gave us a platform to assess our progress.
“Now, we go into the match against Uganda, and the tournament as a whole, as best prepared as we can,” he said.
Regardless of how Zimbabwe fares against Uganda and in the tournament, there are solid positives to take from this particular campaign, most of which can act as a positive starting point for future campaigns.
All things being even, there is no reason why the ZRU and the nation at large, should not be optimistic about breaking the qualification jinx.
This is because there seems to be some improvement in terms of support from the corporate sector.
Nedbank Zimbabwe, since coming in during the last campaign for the France 2023 World Cup qualifiers — have graduated to become an all-weather and loyal friend to the Sables.
The same can be said of Delta Beverages through their Sable brand, Mukuru and a host of other sponsors that have come in to support the Sables’ Trust initiatives to procure resources.
At the time of their departure for Uganda, all allowances had been paid.
The current crop looks to have a delicate balance between locals and the foreign-based contingent, something Benade confessed to be purely coincidental.
Zimbabwe has a host of fine athletes either on rugby scholarships abroad or playing the club game in Europe, the United States and other continents.
There is also an abundance of talent on the local scene and commendably of Benade, his squad looks to have a good balance of those homegrown and those plying their trade elsewhere.
Balance is also a recurring theme for the team as the squad has both youth and experience.
Leading the way are seasoned campaigners like Ian Prior, David Makamba, Brian Makamure, Kudzi Mashawi and Hilton Mudariki.
Their main role here will be to teach, lead and blood some of the young guns like Aiden Bennett, Edward Sigauke, Bryan Chaing, Takudzwa Musingwini, Dion Khumalo and Kudakwashe Nyakufaringwa.
For Zimbabwe, this is a big chance for a new beginning which both the ZRU and the Sables should grab with both hands.
Success in the Africa Cup in Uganda could unlock more opportunities for the country’s rugby.
It could also inspire different levels of players currently playing from nine-year-olds playing Tag rugby to those in the Paramount Garments Under-20 league and the senior national league.
The ZRU could do well to strengthen the local leagues, especially the Under-20 and national league.
They could also introduce a Varsities league which can include the tertiary institutions to tap into the talent in the colleges and polytechnics.
The ZRU could also do more to support the schoolboy game and take more control of what takes place in schools’ rugby.
Online Reporter