Sables not demoted from Division 1A

Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
RUGBY Africa have confirmed that Zimbabwe have not been demoted from the prestigious Division 1A with the Sables to play five matches in 2017, two at home and three away.

The Africa Cup Division 1A which used to be made up of just four countries now has six teams with Zimbabwe, who were supposed to be relegated after they ended bottom this year with no win now joined by 1B finalists Senegal and Tunisia.

Rugby Africa members met for their annual general meeting in Kasane, Botswana last weekend to deliberate on the way forward for the tournament and agreed on a proposal that had been put forward to expand the Africa Cup Division 1A.

According to the fixtures released, Zimbabwe play Senegal away on 24 June, meet Namibia in Windhoek on 15 July.

Zimbabwe have a home assignment against Kenya on 22 July with Tunisia making the trip to Harare for a fixture a week later.

The Sables travel to Uganda for their last match of the competition on 5 August.

Zimbabwe Rugby Union president Nyararai Sibanda indicated that they intend to bring the match between the Sables and Kenya to Hartsfield Rugby Ground in Bulawayo, a venue which has not hosted any international match since 2011 when Uganda were the visitors. Sibanda pointed out that he will brief the Matabeleland Rugby Football Board on the requirements for hosting the match to have them prepared.

Zimbabwe, Africa Cup Division 1A winners in 2012 lost all the three matches this year against Kenya, Uganda and Namibia to finish bottom of the four-team log. This saw coach Cyprian Mandenge forced to resign in August, only to be reinstated into the position the following month. Brendan Dawson, the man Mandenge had been assistant to before being appointed head coach at the beginning of last year was hugely tipped to be handed back the task of coaching the Sables but the ZRU leadership thought otherwise at the last minute.

The Denford Mutamangira led Sables recently participated in the annual Cup of Nations in Hong Kong where they lost to Russia and the host nation but managed to beat Papua New Guinea. The win over the lowly ranked Papua New Guinea saw the Sables bring an end to a nine-match losing streak which started when they were clobbered 80-6 by Namibia in an Africa Cup Division 1A fixture played in Windhoek in August last year.

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