Vusumuzi Dube
Brandon Moyo, [email protected]
AS part of their preparations for the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup, which serves as a direct qualifier for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, the Zimbabwe senior men’s team is set to tour the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korea in November.
The Sables are the reigning African Champions after clinching this year’s Africa Cup in July, marking their first title in 12 years.
They will first travel to Dubai for a friendly match against the UAE national team on November 5 at the Sevens Stadium before heading to South Korea for an alignment camp where they will play two matches on November 7 and 15.
Sables’ head coach Pieter Benade is enthusiastic about the upcoming tours. Benade said the tour will help the players gain international experience as their quest to play in the World Cup for the first time since 1991 begins in earnest.
“We are excited to test ourselves against international opposition and gain valuable match experience. These tours will help us prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and showcase our talent on the global stage,” said Benade.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) president Losson Mtongwiza said this initiative is a testament to the passion that the players and the coaching staff possess and believes that they are on the right path to making rugby great again in the country.
“This is a significant milestone for Zimbabwe rugby. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our players and coaching staff. We are confident that the Sables will continue to elevate the profile of rugby in Zimbabwe,” said Mtongwiza.
Mtongwiza told players last week that after the November tour, there will be other international games lined up for them. He emphasised that they want to give the team the best possible preparations for the World Cup qualifier, and another step will be taking the game back to the people.
“Coming back from there, you take a break and then you go to South Africa in March for a top three-game tournament. It’s going to be amazing. When we come back, there will be a couple of international games that we will play before we go to Uganda. We will do everything in our power to make sure that we go to the next level, and that includes taking this game where it’s supposed to be; to the people,” said Mtongwiza.
The Sables’ recent victory in the African Cup has opened up new opportunities for the team and players. The success has inspired a new generation of young rugby players and attracted increased attention from international teams and competitions.
As the reigning African champions, the Sables are eager to make a statement on the international stage and solidify their position as one of the continent’s leading rugby nations. One person who subscribes to the notion of inspiring the nation through rugby is the skipper Hilton Mudariki.
“One of the biggest things that coach Pieter has instilled in the Sables is to really take the game to the people, not just keep it in the big cities like Harare or Bulawayo. Because the stronger and the more word we can get out about the Sables and rugby in general, the bigger the following and the more lives that we can impact and change, so that’s a big thing for us,” said Mudariki.
In preparation for the tours, the Sables will have a series of preparatory matches against the Junior Sables, Zimbabwe’s Under-20 side. With a wealth of talented players now vying for selection, Benade has the challenging but exciting task of assembling the strongest possible squad to represent Zimbabwe in future competitions.
Bongani Ndlovu