Veronica Gwaze
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WHEN the Zimbabwe senior men’s rugby team, the Sables, host Namibia in a Test match at the National Sports Stadium at 3pm this Saturday, it will be more than just a friendly.
A 25-year-old jinx needs to be broken.
Zimbabwe have failed to beat Namibia on home soil for more than two and a half decades. Their last home victory against their neighbours was a narrow 27-26 win on July 7, 2001, at Hartsfield in Bulawayo during the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) Championship, under the guidance of the late Godwin “Jaws” Murambiwa.
That drought could end this weekend when the two teams renew their rivalry at the National Sports Stadium, a venue where the Sables last played on June 6, 1998, losing 49-11 to Wales.
For more than three decades, Namibia stood in the way of the Sables’ World Cup dreams.
However, that all changed last year when Zimbabwe beat Namibia 30-28 in the final of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup in Kampala, Uganda, sealing World Cup qualification for the first time since 1991.
“Welcoming Namibia, our big Southern Hemisphere and African rival, will be a huge highlight because we have not beaten them in our country for 25 years. It will certainly be a big match that our boys are up for,” said Sables head coach Pieter Benade.
“This doesn’t feel like a friendly. Everyone is excited about the venue, so that’s going to be an attraction on its own, both from the boys’ point of view and for the supporters.
“It has been a long time since the Sables, or any Zimbabwean team, last played there. I think the Sharks played the Bulls there, so we have had South African teams at the venue, but not a Zimbabwean team. That makes this a very special occasion for us.”
The Sables will miss at least eight international players, a development that opens the door for local players to step up and prove themselves. The match will also serve as their final test before they jet off for the second round of the World Rugby Nations Cup in England and France next month. They are scheduled to play Samoa at Wakefield Trinity in Wakefield, England, on November 7, before facing Uruguay at Trallfinders Sports Grounds, London, England on 14 November. The tour concludes against Chile at the Stade Chnazy, Angouleme, France.
The World Rugby Nations Cup is the Sables’ preparation pathway to next year’s World Cup in Australia with the competition meant to provide a chance for Benade to measure his team’s progress and test depth.
Drawn into a challenging World Cup pool alongside England, Wales and Tonga, the Sables face a stern test but also a valuable opportunity to announce their return to elite international rugby.
The global rugby festival will run between October 1 and November 13, 2027, becoming the first men’s Rugby World Cup to feature 24 teams.
The expanded format introduces a round of 16, offering emerging nations like Zimbabwe a realistic chance of progressing beyond the pools.
Pool winners and runners-up will automatically qualify for the knock-out stages, joined by the four best third-placed teams while in total, the competition runs over 19 match-days, with most fixtures scheduled for weekends to boost attendance and fan engagement.
And the Sables’ preparations will have a huge bearing on the future at the global showcase.
“The preparations have been going on well, It’s been amazing being able to get the local boys just on the pitch,” Benade said.
“We have had three weeks of internal matches, trying to sharpen the boys up; it has been baby steps forward every week, and we have seen improvements.
“They have done well in combinations and the cohesion improving, hopefully that will put us in good standing on Saturday.”
Towering second-row lock Kudakwashe “Goofy” Nyakufaringwa will not be in action as he continues to recover from injury.
“Big Goofy had a knee injury… opportunity for locals to put up their hand for positions, and I think we have enough quality for Saturday.”
