The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
A win over Zambia in their opening match of the Victoria Cup has seen the Zimbabwe national men’s 15s rugby team, the Sables rise on the World Rugby rankings where they now ranked the 36th best team globally.
Zimbabwe started off with a 39-10 triumph over Zambia at the Machinery Exchange Stadium at Harare Sports Club last Saturday.
The Brendan Dawson coached Sables gained one spot up the rankings following their convincing win over their neighbours.
With their rise, Zimbabwe are now the fourth best ranked African side after South Africa (5), Namibia (23) and Kenya (32). Uganda were the biggest fallers on the world rankings as they dropped down from 35 to 39.
The Sables, who are still to visit Zambia, play Kenya and Uganda home as well as away are still yet to reach their best rankings in recent years.
Zimbabwe were ranked 25th when Dawson vacated the Sables coaching position in 2015 for Cyprian Mandenge. Dawson had been the Sables coach since 2007 and won the Africa Cup in 2012 having won the Victoria Cup in 2011.
If they could manage to beat a better ranked Kenya, Zimbabwe are sure to gain good ground on the rankings and vindicate 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.
