Zim, Kenya rekindle rivalry

Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub

There’s something magnetic about a storied rugby rivalry. It grabs you by the collar, stirs the national pride, and lingers long after the final whistle.

This afternoon, the familiar foes Zimbabwe and Kenya meet again not just to close out the 2025 Barthes Trophy, but to reignite a feud that has come to define junior rugby on the continent.

For over a year now, Kenya has occupied prime real estate in the minds of Shaun De Souza and his Zimbabwe Under-20 squad. And who could blame them? That fateful loss in 2024 on home soil no less still hangs heavy in the corridors of the Junior Sables’ camp.

The 2024 edition of the Barthes Trophy had all the makings of a fairytale ending for Zimbabwe.

A crowning moment after two years of steady build-up under De Souza’s stewardship.

The squad had been moulded into a finely tuned machine, disciplined, hungry, and seasoned through gruelling competition. Back-to-back wins leading into the final only bolstered expectations.

Even the ghosts of previous regional heartbreaks had been exorcised. Namibia, once the immovable object in junior African rugby, had been soundly beaten in consecutive years – ironically, on Kenyan turf in 2022 and 2023. De Souza’s record against Namibia stood flawless. The Junior Sables were the team to beat, clear favourites by pundits and fans alike.

Victory seemed inevitable. But then came the final, and with it, a shocking reversal.

Zimbabwe’s performance against Kenya was disjointed and disheartening. Structure gave way to selfish play.

Composure evaporated under pressure. What should have been a celebration turned into a nightmare. Kenya pounced on every mistake with ruthless precision, walking away with a commanding 28-13 victory.

It wasn’t just the loss that stung, it was how it happened.

Zimbabwe’s worst instincts surfaced under the spotlight, and in front of a partisan home crowd, no less. The image of the jubilant Kenyan players singing and dancing in front of the Harare faithful was the salt in the wound. Zimbabwe was left to grapple not just with defeat, but with the weight of expectations unmet.

The East Africans left vindicated, victorious, and perhaps even smug. The Junior Sables stayed behind licking their wounds, reckoning with trauma, and searching for answers.

But that chapter is over. This afternoon, the script flips.

Zimbabwe and Kenya meet once again as the curtain falls on the 2025 Barthes Trophy. While the stakes may have shifted, the emotional charge remains fully intact.

The triangular drama between Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Namibia continues to anchor the competition’s narrative. Since the tournament’s launch in 2017, the three teams have taken turns on the throne.

Namibia were champions in 2017 and 2018, Kenya in 2019 and 2024, and Zimbabwe claimed the crown in 2022 and 2023. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19, making this year’s tournament the unofficial tiebreaker though not in the way anyone imagined.

This year, it is Namibia’s turn to dominate. The Namibians have steamrolled their way through the competition, dispatching both Kenya (32-22) and Zimbabwe (41-22) with clinical precision. Their final match today is against Tunisia the tournament’s basement team and few doubt the outcome.

But there’s a cruel twist in Namibia’s triumph.

Due to budget constraints, World Rugby has scrapped the 2025 Junior World Trophy the very tournament that often serves as the ultimate reward for Barthes Trophy winners.

“It is unfortunate that there won’t be any Junior World Trophy this year. I am reliably informed it (postponement) has something to do with resources,” said De Souza.

“That said, this is not the end of the world. Namibia are most likely to win it, congratulations to them, but I am sure there will be other tournaments that come up and they will be invited to those.”

That leaves today’s encounter between Zimbabwe and Kenya less about titles and more about redemption, pride, and setting the record straight.

De Souza has kept things measured in the build-up, careful not to fan the flames but clear about the importance of the moment.

“It will definitely be an exciting game,” he said. “We have sort of got ourselves to the level that we want to be in, prepared well and we are certainly looking forward to the match-up.

“It certainly will be one for the books.”

The Zimbabwe coach is well aware of Kenya’s approach and is under no illusion about what awaits.

“They haven’t changed; they have stuck to their style, in which they run the ball whenever they can, and try to suffocate us in defence,” he said. “Kenya have got a very strong pack and have excellent defenders.

“We have assessed that and have a few tricks up our sleeve.”

But this game, more than tactics and style, is about redemption.

“I think at this stage, with Namibia most likely winning the tournament, all we can do and want to do is to redeem ourselves,” said De Souza.

“We know that they are going to try to come hard at us and also know that they have planned for us particularly so we have to be ready.”

Kenya’s skipper, Roy Maruti, has not been shy about fanning the competitive flames dropping soundbites clearly designed to unsettle the Zimbabwean camp.

“We aimed for the sun when the tournament began, but now we are targeting the moon,” said Maruti. “We want to finish strong and, at the very least, be the runners-up.”

The scrumhalf, a returning member from the 2024 squad, knows today’s clash carries symbolic weight.

“Yeah, they came to our home and beat us twice and now it’s our turn,” he added. “We know they want this match and, to that, I say ‘let them come’ and may the best team win.

“My boys are ready to play and to dominate.”

As the final whistle looms, today’s match is less about silverware and more about the enduring fire between two proud rugby nations. This is personal. This is payback. This is a rivalry renewed.