Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub
IT has been a whirlwind week for Piet Benade. Samoa sealed the last berth to the 2027 Rugby World Cup and, almost immediately, World Rugby rolled out the full roadmap for next year’s Nations Cup. Suddenly the long road to Australia feels close enough to touch for the Sables and their coach, who has barely caught his breath since guiding Zimbabwe back to the global stage after 34 years.
The Nations Cup will give teams outside rugby’s major annual competitions a real run of meaningful matches. It sits within the structure World Rugby put in place with unions, leagues and players, and links directly to the top level Nations Championship. For its debut in 2026, the Championship will bring together all the Six Nations sides with the SANZAAR giants, plus Japan and Fiji. The Nations Cup mirrors that rhythm, running across the July and November windows in 2026 and 2028.
Zimbabwe are in the mix, placed in a pool with Tonga, the USA and Canada. It is the kind of company they have long wanted, and the kind of examination Benade has been craving.
“The release of the Nations Cup fixtures has really made everything real,” he said. “There is a lot of excitement around the group once again, in terms of the challenges ahead and playing against the tier two teams. We will finally find out how we measure up.”
World Rugby then raised the stakes again. The Rugby World Cup draw, set for December 3 in Australia, will confirm Zimbabwe’s pool opponents and give the Sables their first look at what awaits them on the sport’s biggest stage. Benade compares the moment to the shock and joy of July’s qualification.
“It will be another opportunity to feel the magnitude of the achievement. Seeing our country drawn to play against the best in the game is a huge privilege and honour,” he said.
He plans to follow the draw at home, surrounded by close family and friends, possibly with a few coaches added to the gathering. The draw will shape everything from scouting to friendlies.
“The draw will be important, so we can start just following teams a bit closer, as well as start planning preparatory matches against some of these nations that we will not meet at the World Cup. If we are to target a match, we would need to focus on the opponent drawn from the band just below us, which consists of teams ranked 13th to 18th in the world. As far as the teams in band one and two, we know that those games will be historical and a massive opportunity for the boys to show their talent with an opportunity to change their lives with good performances against the world’s best,” he said.
The 2027 World Cup will be the biggest yet, with 24 teams split into six pools. Two teams per pool will progress to the Round of 16, joined by the four best third placed sides, determined first by competition points and then by points and try difference. Teams will be seeded according to World Rugby rankings at the time of the draw. South Africa,
Ireland, New Zealand, France, England and Argentina currently make up the top six. Australia, Scotland, Fiji, Italy, Georgia and Wales sit in the next group. Band 1 will contain the top six, Band 2 the next six. One team from each of the four bands will form each pool, with Australia already installed in Pool A.
With the countdown accelerating, Benade has started mapping out the Sables’ long journey ahead. His side were recently involved in the Sables Lager Grid Cup, a tournament he believes added real value.
“The Grid Cup was a great initiative for the local based players, where we have a lack of rugby,” he said. “Having something new and fresh has been a positive development. The player draft ensured the top group of players were shared and made games more competitive. We hope next year there will be a longer build up or preparations phase so that the quality of the matches will naturally improve.”
There was more positive news this week. Stormers forward Gary Porter has confirmed his availability for Zimbabwe. Porter, whose mother was born in Bulawayo, plays for the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship and has been on a steady rise since his days with the Ikey Tigers. He previously spent time with Western Province and made six appearances for Ealing Trailfinders in the RFU Championship.
“We are in constant communication with players and we are happy with the progress of possible personnel who are showing interest in playing for the Sables,” said Benade. “One such example is the Stormers lock. Gary Porter, whose mother was born in Bulawayo, has confirmed he is available to play. We are looking to build the tight five, so Porter being added to the second row stocks will be a significant addition.”
