The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE will now host the Rugby Africa Pool D matches following cancellation of the tournament in Tunisia owing to an exponential rise in coronavirus cases.
The competition, which was expected to feature Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, had been pencilled in from July 7 to July 17 in the Tunisian seaside town of Monastir.
However, it has since emerged that the Zimbabwe Sables will now have to battle it out with Burkina Faso’s Stallions.
Tunisia’s rugby side was denied permission by the North African country’s authorities to travel to Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) confirmed the latest development in a statement issued by communications officer Simba Dangah on Thursday.
The matches, which will kick-start the African Zone qualifiers for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, will take place between July 16 and July 22.
“Zimbabwe will now host the Pool D games after Tunisia failed to host the tournament after a surge in Covid-19 cases, which saw them move from an orange to a red zone.
“Zimbabwe was on standby to host the games as the second-highest ranked team in the group. The tournament was dealt a further blow when Tunisia was denied permission to travel to Zimbabwe,” read the statement.
“This means the Pool D games will now be a two-team tournament to establish the ranking for the next stage of the competition in 2022.”
Despite the initial tourney being cancelled on the eve of their departure for Tunis, coach Brendan Dawson and his charges are understood to have remained in camp while awaiting word from Rugby Africa on the way forward.
The Sables can now also use home advantage at the Machinery Exchange Stadium at Harare Sports Club, where they saw off Zambia in back-to-back international friendlies last month.
