Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema-Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS the clock ticks to next year’s Rugby World Cup, the Zimbabwe Rugby Union have moved a gear up in their preparations for the event.
ZRU Interim Management Committee general manager Takunda “TJ” Chifokoyo is currently in Australia, where he hopes to facilitate the Sables’ stay.
The visit, at the behest of Australia Rugby, includes stadium, hotel, and training ground visits and inspections.
“So, we are here at the behest of Rugby World Cup Australia, which is the organising committee of the Rugby World Cup 2027,” said Chifokoyo. “What we have been doing is touring the options available to us for hotels or accommodation, training venues, and, of course, touring the actual stadiums that we are going to be playing in.
“We have just completed Adelaide and have just moved over to Townsville, where we will look at the options and locations available there.
“In Adelaide, we had the pleasure of going to Adelaide Oval, where we will be playing, and it is a beautiful complex.
“That is where the Lions had their tour last year, and it was really good to get the chance to see the world-class facility that it is.
“We were truly impressed.
“There are some very impressive training facilities, and the accommodation options here are also world-class.
“Really, it is a matter of just getting the right combination of hotel and training venue that are going to complement what the boys are doing,” he said.
The timing of the union’s visit couldn’t be more fortuitous, as World Rugby has just released the schedule for the November block of the Nations Cup.
The matches are slated for November 6-21 in Europe and Hong Kong.
Zimbabwe got off to a rocky start, with the Sables going down to Tonga 36-26, the US 31-15, and Canada 23-19.
They will open their November schedule with a date against Samoa at the DIY Kitchens Stadium in Wakefield, England, on November 7. They will then play Uruguay at the Trailfinders Sports Ground in Ealing, England, on November 14.
As part of the November schedule, Zimbabwe will stage its designated home matches in England and France.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong and China will play two of its three home fixtures in France before returning to Hong Kong to host Tonga at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground on November 21.
The arrangements have been agreed with the respective unions for the 2026 edition, reflecting the wider European footprint of the November window, while maintaining important home-market moments where possible.
The Sables will wrap up their November schedule with a date against Chile at the Stade Chanzy in Angouleme, France.
“We are very excited about the November window coming up,” said Chifokoyo.
“It offers us an opportunity to show that our July results and performances were no fluke.
“This is an opportunity for us to grow as a team and to step up.
“It is not going to be easy at all. We are not expecting it to be, as it is different weather and conditions from what we are used to and what we faced in July.
“It’s starting to cool down, get wet, and get cold. We are playing in a different environment, which is good for our players to be tested and for them to play under different conditions,” he said.
On the Sables’ return to France, Chifokoyo added that “it was a mixed bag of results for us back in 2022.
“Not qualifying for the Rugby World Cup then was devastating to the programme and the boys.
“However, we are quite excited about returning there, and it presents an opportunity for the team to redeem themselves.
“It is a great opportunity, and we are really excited about it.”
The Nations Cup sees 12 unions that have qualified for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 compete in a structured environment designed to accelerate competitiveness and create certainty of meaningful annual fixtures with revenue opportunities.
The schedule is meant to balance geographic spread, player welfare, logistics costs, and developmental opportunity, providing fans with clarity, teams with certainty, and unions with commercial opportunities. These unions represent rugby’s most exciting growth markets, many of whom have made significant strides in recent years through dedicated pathways, increased investment, and record levels of supporter engagement.
The Nations Cup is meant to give them an annual platform to test themselves against comparable opposition, refine systems, and optimise experience ahead of Australia 2027.
Following a successful month of July, the USA and Georgia sit top of Pool A and Pool B respectively after recording three wins from three. However, only Uruguay and Zimbabwe are yet to taste victory after an eventful three rounds, which included the highest-scoring draw in Test history, 42-42, between Canada and Spain, and a victory for Hong Kong China over Uruguay.
The competition has been split into two pools. Pool A, the Americas and Pacific pool, features Canada, Chile, Samoa, Tonga, Uruguay, and the USA.
Pool B, the Europe/Asia/Africa group, comprises Georgia, Hong Kong China, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Zimbabwe.
Each team faces every team in the other pool in a full round-robin format spanning the July and November windows.
The teams that finish top of each pool will then be crowned the inaugural Nations Cup champions. World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson said: “The opening chapter of the World Rugby Nations Cup in the Americas delivered exactly what this competition was created to provide: compelling, competitive, and meaningful rugby, with high-scoring drama, historic moments, and nail-biting finishes that captured the imagination of fans around the world.
“November now promises a thrilling climax, with 18 fixtures across Europe and Hong Kong.
“There, 12 ambitious teams are chasing silverware, and two inaugural Nations Cup titles are on the line.
“For every union involved, this is more than a competition. It is an important step on the journey to the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, providing the intensity, certainty, and opportunity they need to grow, inspire, and perform on the world stage.
“We look forward to seeing which teams seize the moment and make history as the first World Rugby Nations Cup champions.”
