The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE senior national rugby team coach, Brendan Dawson has named the final squad for next month’s Rugby Africa Cup in France, which serves as the continent’s 2023 rugby World Cup qualifier.
The Zimbabwean team was named at a ceremony held in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday.
Cape Town has been the base for the Sables for weeks when they played in the Currie Cup First Division as the Zimbabwe Goshawks, with their campaign coming to an end when they played the Valke at Wynberg High School.
Pumas backline player Tapiwa Mafura and France-based loose forward Tapiwa Tsomondo have been named in the squad that is travelling to France tomorrow for the Rugby Africa Cup scheduled for 1-10 July in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence, France.
Mafura and Tsomondo, who delayed playing for Zimbabwe as they appeared to be eyeing representing South Africa made their debut at the end of last year against Brazil.
Props, Farai Mudariki and Michael Kumbirai were ruled out of the Sables final squad because of injury.
Farai Mudariki
Zimbabwe have a friendly match planned against Netherlands on 25 June as they further fine tune to take on Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.
Should Zimbabwe take care of the West Africans, their opponents in the semi-finals are most likely to be Namibia if the Namibians overcome Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals.
The four colourful quarter-finals that were determined at the end of the group stage of the Rugby Africa Cup 2021.
Algeria, Kenya, Uganda and Senegal are the other teams that made it to the last eight of the Rugby Africa Cup.
Winners of this year’s Rugby Africa Cup will automatically qualify for next year’s Rugby World Cup in France while runners up will have to make do with a place in the final qualification tournament to make one final attempt to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2023.
Zimbabwe Sables squad:
Tyran Fagan, Victor Mupunga, Matthew Mandioma, Liam Larkan, Cleopas Kundiona, Bornwell Gwinji, Sean Beevor, Godfrey Muzanargwo, Godwin Mangenje, Kelvin Kanenungo, Johan Du Preez, Nyasha Tarusenga, Jason Fraser, Hilton Mudariki, Kyle Galloway, Takudzwa Musingwini, Takudzwa Chieza, Riaan O’Neill, Marcus Nel, Tapiwa Mafura, Matthew McNab, Shingirai Katsvere, Tapiwa Tsomondo, Brendon Marume, Shayne Makombe, Ngoni Chibuwe, Aiden Burnett, Royal Mwale, Martin Mangongo, Gabriel Sipapate
Non travelling reserves: George Saungweme, Carlos Matematema, Tawanda Matipano
Coach: Brendan Dawson
Assistant coach: Pieter Benade
Assistant coach: Graham Knoop
Assistant coach: Ashley Wells
Team manager: Jason Maritz
Physiotherapist: Alice Randall
Team doctor: Tapfuma Parirenyatwa
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