Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
THE Zimbabwe Sables have resumed preparations for next month’s World Rugby Nations Cup in the United States, with the team drawing valuable lessons from their recent defeat to South Africa A as they continue building towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Zimbabwe returned home after suffering a 40-0 loss to South Africa A in a developmental fixture played at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium over the weekend.
Despite the result, the Sables camp believes the encounter provided an important benchmark against high-level opposition and highlighted key areas for improvement ahead of upcoming international assignments.
Head coach Pieter Benade said the team had taken several positives from the match, particularly its response after a difficult opening half.
“It was a good match. We are happy with the response of the team, especially in the second half. The guys were given a shocker in the first half but matched the opposition in the second half, a team that had Springboks and players with more than 100 caps in the United Rugby Championship.
“The calibre of opposition puts us in the right frame of mind, and we have a lot of positives going forward we can learn from that.”
Utility forward Godfrey Muzanargwo said the focus remains on growth and development rather than the scoreline.
“We are taking every lesson. I know many people look at the scoreboard, but it is much more than that. We are preparing, and after that, we will be okay.
“This is a level-up. We are the second best team in Africa, but there is a big gap between them and us, so we are learning a lot.”
The Sables are expected to depart for the United States on July 28 for the Nations Cup, where they will face the hosts, Tonga and Canada.
Following the tournament, Zimbabwe will participate in another international competition in England in November as preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup continue to gather momentum.
