Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S Sables will face the United States in a historic first-ever meeting between the two nations when they clash in the second round of the World Rugby Nations Cup on Sunday.
The match, scheduled for 1:30am Zimbabwe time at the American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, presents the Sables with an opportunity to test themselves against one of the world’s higher-ranked rugby nations.
Zimbabwe goes into the encounter ranked 24th in the World Rugby rankings, while the United States Eagles occupy 16th place and head into the match on the back of a victory over Portugal in their tournament opener.
Despite the eight-place gap in the rankings, the Sables will be encouraged by their spirited display in a 36-26 defeat to Tonga, where they showed signs of progress against Rugby World Cup-bound opposition.
Zimbabwe will be looking to build on that performance as they continue preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Beyond the immediate result, the World Rugby Nations Cup is providing the Sables with an important opportunity to benchmark their development against stronger international opposition as they continue their build-up towards rugby’s biggest tournament.
