HARARE, ZIMBABWE – In a momentous day for Zimbabwean rugby, the Sables have secured their place at the top table of international rugby for the first time since 1991. They accomplished this feat by defeating arch-rivals Namibia in a nail-biting Rugby Africa Men’s Cup final in Kampala, Uganda, successfully defending the title they won a year ago at the very same venue.
The victory, however, is not an end but a beginning, according to player of the match Godfrey Muzanargwo. “The work starts now,” the formidable second-row stated moments after the intense final whistle. “For us, now, it’s back to the drawing board. We don’t want to go to the World Cup just to be there. We want to go there and compete and put Zimbabwe on the map.”
Muzanargwo, who scored a crucial try himself, was quick to attribute the team’s success to a wider support system. He gave credit to “the support from back home,” and pointed particularly to, “our coaches, doing the work behind the scenes and all the team-mates for pushing us forwards”.
A Final for the Ages
The championship match was a titanic struggle, fulfilling its promise as a fitting end to the tournament. The first half was a tense, evenly matched affair, with both sides trading blows on the scoreboard and in physicality. Namibia’s Cliven Loubser and Zimbabwe’s Ian Prior exchanged early penalties to set the tone.
The first try came from the Sables, as centre Kudzai Mashawi executed a perfectly planned attacking lineout move. A well-sold dummy created the initial gap, but Mashawi still had to display immense strength to hold off multiple defenders and score under the posts. Another Zimbabwean penalty followed after Namibian scrum-half Jacques Theron was sent to the sin bin for a yellow card.
Despite being a man down, Namibia, led by coach Jacques Burger, showed remarkable resilience. They weathered the storm and struck back decisively just after Zimbabwe’s own numbers were reduced when back-row Jason Fraser was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on. Namibian captain Prince Gaoseb capitalized on the advantage, crashing over for a try. Loubser’s successful conversion locked the scores at a tense at halftime.
Zimbabwe appeared to seize control of the final in the third quarter. Just five minutes into the second half, a series of powerful, short-range attacks on the Namibian line culminated in Godfrey Muzanargwo muscling his way over for a try. On the hour mark, Brandon Mudzekenyedzi ran a perfect support line to score another, extending Zimbabwe’s lead and tightening their grip on the trophy.
But Namibia roared back. Almost immediately from the restart, Jay-Cee Nel found space and broke clear to score in the corner, slashing the deficit. As Zimbabwe began to struggle with discipline at the breakdown, replacement Adriaan Booysen burst through a gap to touch down under the posts. Suddenly, with just 10 minutes remaining, the final was a razor-thin two-point game.
The defining moment came in the 79th minute. Namibia was awarded a penalty just inside their own half, presenting Tiaan Swanepoel with a long-range opportunity to snatch a dramatic victory. The kick had the distance, but sailed agonizingly wide of the posts. It was Namibia’s final chance, and with it went their hopes of direct qualification. The Sables held on for a historic win.
Tournament Round-Up
While Zimbabwe celebrates its direct entry to the World Cup, Namibia’s journey is not over. They will now face the United Arab Emirates, the runners-up of the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025, in an Asia/Africa play-off next Saturday in Kampala. The winner will advance to the Final Qualification Tournament in November.
In the day’s earlier matches:
- 3rd Place Play-off: Algeria secured the bronze medal with a gritty victory over Kenya, thanks to first-half tries from Benjamin Caminati and Kamil Bouregba.
- 5th Place Final: Senegal emerged victorious in a marathon encounter against Morocco. The match went deep into extra time before Mamodou Ndiaye scored a golden try in the 108th minute to seal a dramatic win.
- 7th Place Final: Hosts Uganda delighted the home crowd by securing their top-tier status, avoiding relegation with a convincing win over Ivory Coast. It was their first and most crucial victory of the tournament.