adminMbachi Mutukula-Maregere Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Sables are set to open their account in the rugby Tri-Nations series this evening when they clash against hosts Namibia at the Hage Geingob Rugby Field.
The match is scheduled to get underway at 7:30pm.
Sables team manager Losson Mtongwiza yesterday said they were looking forward to posting a positive result against the hosts.
“We are very happy that all went well in terms of our preparations. We are getting ready for our Friday match where we are hoping to do well.
“Next week we are going to continue with the action and play our second match of the series,” said Mtongwiza. African champions Kenya will also compete in the series which is being sponsored by Namibia Breweries, through its brand Windhoek Draught.
The Sables’ second match will be against Kenya next Tuesday at 7:30pm and the final match between Namibia and Kenya takes place at 5:30pm on Saturday.
The series was launched on Wednesday with the Namibia Rugby Union chief executive, Sybrand de Beer, saying the tournament will give the Namibian fans an opportunity to watch Test rugby.
It will also give the hosts the chance to test themselves against their African counterparts, whom they will meet in the final 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifiers next year.
De Beer called on Namibian fans to show their support and dress in blue for Namibia’s opening match against the Sables this evening.
“The first match against Zimbabwe is very important because it will set the tone for the rest of the tournament, and a win for Namibia will give us confidence for the match against Kenya. We, therefore, call on all our supporters to support our team at the match by wearing a Namibian rugby jersey or anything blue. We also want the whole of Namibia to show its support by wearing blue for the next two Fridays,” said De Beer.
De Beer thanked Namibia Breweries for sponsoring the tournament for the second successive year as well as the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture who will cover the accommodation and transport costs of the teams during their stay in that country. The International Rugby Board bankrolled the flight expenses for Zimbabwe and Kenya.
This evenings’ Test match will be preceded by a match between Namibia Under-20 and a Namibian Invitational team at 5pm as part of the national Under-20 team’s preparations for the 2013 Rugby Junior World Trophy competition in Hong Kong.
The president and vice-president of the Confederation of African Rugby, Abdelaziz Bougja and Dave Gilbert, will be in attendance on the final day of the tournament next Saturday.
Online Reporter