Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
SHAUN DE SOUZA has a couple of important decisions to make in the next few days as the Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby team prepares to face hosts Uganda in a regulation Test match this weekend.
The 2026 Barthes Trophy rugby tournament is done and dusted, with Tuesday’s final day of the competition providing plenty of spills and thrills.
Kenya overpowered perennial rivals Namibia 33-14 in the final of the Performance Division, earning a berth at next year’s Junior World Trophy in the process.
For their part, the Junior Sables finished third after a much-improved 38-12 win over Tunisia.
The result guaranteed that Zimbabwe will remain in the Performance Division of the tournament for the next edition, while Tunisia have been relegated to the First Division.
Uganda, in turn, completed the double over Zambia when they beat them 27-12 to gain promotion into the Performance Division. This came after the hosts also won 81-0 in the first match last week.
Now, with the tournament in the rearview mirror, the Test match between Zimbabwe and Uganda has very little to no stakes aside from the proverbial bragging rights and affording the two teams some extra game time.
And it is something that De Souza hopes to exploit. The Zimbabwe Under-20 gaffer has welcomed the match with open arms.
“Uganda are a very competitive side,” he said.
“They have shown good physicality and a strong desire to play, so we know it will be another demanding international fixture.
“For us, the stakes are about continuing our development and finishing the programme strongly as we want to carry the momentum from the Tunisia game into that match.
“Also, it is another opportunity for players to put their hands up and show that they can perform consistently at international level,” he said.
By any standards, a bronze medal finish at this year’s Barthes Trophy is undesirable, as the Junior Sables went into the tournament with a lot of hype and high expectations.
After two failed campaigns, the Uganda tournament was a chance for De Souza and his charges to redeem themselves.
Unfortunately, the team failed in their target to bring the trophy back home as Zimbabwe lost their very first match, a semi-final encounter, against Kenya 35-23.
Zimbabwe then bounced back with a 38-12 win over Tunisia, a match that carried a lot of stakes.
“It gives us something tangible to take away from the tournament, especially with such a new-look squad,” said De Souza.
“I don’t think we want to look at bronze as simply a consolation.
“We wanted to compete for the top positions, and losing to Kenya in the opening match cost us that opportunity.
“Having said that, the bronze medal and remaining in the Performance Division gives the players confidence and gives Zimbabwe rugby a platform to keep building from,” he said.
