The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE women have gone up to 45 in World Rugby fifteens rankings after their 72-0 triumph over Namibia in a Rugby Africa Cup Pool A match played at the City Park in Cape Town on Sunday.
Before the win over Namibia, the Melissa Ndlovu captained Women Sables were ranked 49th, which means they have moved up four places. Sunday’s win for the Lissy Wasarirevu mentored lasses was a remarkable recovery after they lost their opening match in the tournament 108-0 to South Africa, which means they headed home with their heads held high up after drubbing Namibia.
South Africa are unchanged on 13th place in the world while Namibia are down to 57 from 55.
Before taking on South Africa and Namibia, the Zimbabwean women had last played international rugby in July last year when they took on Uganda in Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Pool C matches in Kampala. Zimbabwe lost 41-0 and 34-3 to the Ugandans.
With the women back home, focus shifts to the men’s team, the Sables who are gearing up for the Rugby Africa Cup in France, which is serving as the continent’s final qualifier for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in the European country. Zimbabwe take on Netherlands in a friendly match in Amsterdam before they head back to France where their opponents in the Rugby Africa Cup are Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals. Should they beat the Ivorians they are most likely to clash with Namibia in the semis if the Namibians overcome Burkina Faso in their own quarterfinal clash.
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