The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE continue to rise in the World Rugby rankings, with the Sables now the 35th best team globally.
The Sables moved a place up from 36 to 35 following their hard fought 31-26 triumph over Uganda in a Victoria Cup fixture played at Legends Rugby Club in Kampala on Saturday. It was the second win for the Brendan Dawson coached Sables in the Victoria Cup, a four-team competition after their 39-10 victory over Zambia in Harare on 13 July.
Zimbabwe are now the fourth best ranked African side after South Africa (4), Namibia (23) and Kenya (32). Uganda continued on their downward spiral on the world rankings as they dropped down from 39 to 32.
Next up for the Sables is a battle with the Simbas of Kenya at Hartsfield Rugby Ground in Bulawayo on Saturday.
If they could manage to beat a better ranked Kenya, Zimbabwe are sure to gain good ground on the rankings and prove right the decision by the Aaron Jani led Zimbabwe Rugby Union to bring back Dawson, the most successful modern day Sables coach to replace South African Peter de Villiers. De Villiers only recorded one win out of five matches in last year’s Africa Cup, that 38-18 triumph coming against Uganda in Kampala. The Sables finished fifth out of six teams, only better than Morocco, a team which held them to a 23-23 draw in their opening fixture at Harare Sports Club.
@Mdawini_29
