Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Under-20 coach Sean De Souza will unveil his squad tomorrow for the Abu Dhabi World Schools Festival.
It’s a moment the Junior Sables have been racing towards with everything they have.
The build-up has been tight, the workload heavy, and the pressure real, yet the mood in camp shows a team desperate to burst onto the world stage.
The tournament first kicked off in 2018 in Paarl, South Africa, pulling in elite schools rugby teams from across the globe.
It grew fast, hopping to Stellenbosch the following year before the pandemic shut it down.
It roared back in 2022 with a new format in Thailand, and the December shift opened it to teams from both hemispheres.
By 2024 it had powered into Abu Dhabi with an even bigger footprint that added cricket, hockey and netball.
Zimbabwe now steps in for the first time, with the festival set for December 12 to 22.
De Souza believes his group has handled every demand thrown at them.
“Our preparation window has been short, but the boys have responded exceptionally well,” said De Souza.
“Physically, we have pushed hard to get them to the required intensity and they have embraced that challenge.
“Mentally, we have focused on clarity, composure, and belief.
“When you wear the Zimbabwe badge, you carry a responsibility so our mindset has been about embracing pressure and not fearing it.
“We are going to Abu Dhabi prepared to compete, to express ourselves, and to grow as a group.”
He has spent the last two weeks sharpening his squad and is set to take a High Performance group along with the Junior Sables.
“Selection is always about balance and identity,” he said.
“We looked at players who can thrive in our system with emphasis on high work rate, discipline, resilience, and game intelligence.
“We wanted combinations that complement each other, leaders who can lift the group, and youngsters with the character to handle this level of rugby.
“Ultimately, every player selected earned their spot through consistency, attitude, and commitment.
“Every High Performance squad member clearly understands the positional selection criteria which literally makes the team select with a positional ranking chart that guides you.”
Both squads will be confirmed tomorrow, with about eight teams expected in the top tier competition.
Matches will run on December 14, 16 and 18 before the finals two days later.
For De Souza the tour is about far more than closing out the year.
It is a key building block for the 2026 cycle and the long game around developing Zimbabwe’s future stars.
