Story by Raynald Ngwarati
THE Zimbabwe Sables have won the first edition of this year’s Battle of the Zambezi after walloping Zambia 70-15 at Harare Sports Club this Sunday to mark an emphatic start to the 2025 rugby season.
It was a perfect return to action for the Sables this Sunday as the reigning African champions made a statement of intent by emphatically thumping Zambia in their season opener.
The Pieter Benade-coached side showed their hunger from the get-go, putting in a valiant display to break the Zambian wall earlier into the match to take a 28-10 lead at halftime.
With the 18-point advantage, the largely locally assembled arsenal turned even deadlier with precise attack and a solid backline to restrict Zambia from adding to the scoreboard.
It was a one-sided affair in the second half as Zambia could only manage to score one try in the last 40 minutes, while Zimbabwe’s 28 was translated to 70.
Tyrone Gombe completed the rout for the home team, scoring his first try to punish Zambia who conceded a score of 70 to sum up the dominance of the local-based Sables.
The Sables, however, were replicating the exploits of their juniors after the Junior Sables showed their class to thump Sharks Academy 46-39 in the curtain raiser.
The reverse encounter is set for May 29, in Lusaka however before that the Sables face Botswana next week.
Zimbabwe is using the Battle of Zambezi series as part of its preparations to retain the Rugby Africa Cup scheduled for Uganda from July 7 to July 21.
