‘We’ve a few extraordinary surprises for Zim’: Further boost for Sables’ World Cup preps

BY SPORTSCAST WRITER

HARARE – With the schedule for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia now out, Zimbabwe have been given further assurance that their return to the sport’s biggest stage will be well supported by both the continental governing body and World Rugby.

Rugby Africa president Herbert Mensah, a member of the Executive Board of global ruling body World Rugby, reaffirmed that the Sables’ first World Cup appearance since 1991 will be of great priority to the two bodies.

“Everybody needs to come to the table, we have World Rugby coming, we have Rugby Africa coming, and we have a few extraordinary surprises for Zimbabwe going into the future,” Mensah told SportsCast this week.

“And I hope that in the next month or two, I will come to Zimbabwe and can announce some of these things – significant investments and changes that will transform Zimbabwe’s preparations for the World Cup.

“Rugby Africa itself is repositioning itself; we are seeing it. You’re calling from Zimbabwe, and look at what is happening in Zimbabwe, we are trying to reorganise. There is an IMC (Interim Management Committee) in place. We have had World Rugby experts there. I need to give special thanks to Mr Dave Gilbert who represents me, and Mr Steph Nel who has been representing World Rugby and fighting on the ground to make sure that the ingredients are being put in place so that hopefully we can let the people of Zimbabwe see, and hopefully His Excellency the President and those in power in Zimbabwe see that we believe in Zimbabwe. Not only because that you are the champions of Africa, but we believe in Zimbabwe. And you know that I’ve a secret deep love for Zimbabwe, the beautiful country Zimbabwe.”

The Sables’ World Cup preparations have been boosted by the introduction of a new global tournament to the international calendar, the World Rugby Nations Cup, a rung below the Nations Championship.

World Rugby, announcing the new competition last November, said the Nations Cup “will provide unprecedented level of competitive international rugby for teams on the road to the Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027,” adding: “With performance gains and revenue growth as core pillars, new competition will drive a deeper meaning and narrative to Test rugby across the July and November windows.”

While this is a significant development ahead of the Sables’ historic World Cup return, and additional backing set to revealed, Mensah remarked that the bulk of the work in quest of a successful tournament should be done by Zimbabwe themselves.

“No, it’s not our job to do this sorely, it’s our job to be a catalyst, to be part,” Mensah commented.

“The majority undoubtedly will be done by the government of Zimbabwe. We tend to, on the continent, invest in football and countries spend millions, tens of millions of dollars, United States dollars, on preparation for Afcon (Africa Cup of Nations), and getting to the World Cup. And at the end of the day, it’s only a few countries who can really make it. And even if they make it, the amount of investment required is massive. My call, as I travel across Africa, is for more countries to recognise that not everybody can be a footballer and that there are other sports that are greater in different ways.

“Greater in terms of development of society, and that’s rugby because it talks of teamwork, it talks of respect, it talks of so many things and we want our children, our young adults, to be part of it. And Zimbabwe clearly is a leading light; they are the champions of Africa and it’s so important that we all rally behind Zimbabwe.”

The second-tier Nations Cup, involving 12 World Cup-bound teams, will kick off in the United States in July.

Lack of suitable facilities in Zimbabwe might however prevent local fans from watching the Sables host top-class opposition at home in the build-up to the World Cup, and Mensah as called on the Southern African nation to address the matter.

“We need to develop internal stadia and infrastructure, we need to look at the way the constitution is run so that we have good governance forever, not temporarily,” he said.

“We need to make sure that Zimbabwe, as the champions of Africa, can host at least or possibly three events per year, Rugby Africa tournaments, and eventually World Rugby tournaments. And if it is that we can build infrastructure, there is no reason why we can’t bring global events in the beautiful country of Zimbabwe. That is my dream, and I hope that it materialises.”