Zimpapers Logo

Brandon Moyo, [email protected]

FOUR players are poised to make their Zimbabwe national men’s rugby team debut when the Sables face off against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai today.

Jovan Bekker, Munashe Mhere, Bryan Chiang and Kyle Godwin are the new comers.
Bekker and Mhere were named in the starting 15 while Godwin, a former Australia centre who recently retraced his roots to his country of birth, will be coming on as an impact player with Chiang.

Pieter Benade

Pieter Benade named a strong squad for the match, including Tino Mavesere, Kudzai Mashawi, Hilton Mudariki and Ian Prior.
Tadius Hwata returns to the Sables and hopes to make a crafty impact at the back of the line. “I am happy to be back in the team, it is a different set up and more dynamic and the boys have levelled up since the Africa Cup. It is an important moment for me to wear the stripes again and I want to express myself tomorrow,” said Hwata.

From the UAE, the Sables are scheduled to travel to South Korea and captain Mudariki believes that these tours are crucial towards building a competitive squad for the 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification tournament.

“This is an amazing opportunity for us as the Sables to go on tour, play in different conditions and build within our team. It will also give the coaches a chance to test squad depth as we prepare for next year.
“Next year is a very important year for Zimbabwe and now, we are looking forward to the challenge. We know it’s going to be very difficult, as South Korea and the UAE are both quality teams also pushing for World Cup qualification. It’s a great test to go out there and play in their countries,” said Mudariki.

Sables

The Africa Cup winning skipper added that they are hoping to build on what they achieved this year going forward.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to face different opposition that we usually don’t come up against and to build on what we have achieved this year, hopefully finishing on a high.

“We thank our sponsors and fans so much and urge all our supporters in the UAE and South Korea to come and cheer us on at the games,” said Mudariki.
Coach Benade said he is pleased to have gotten another opportunity to get the players back together after their success in July.

He said the two tours of the UAE and South Korea will help the players garner crucial experience as it is a first for many.
The tour is cementing the Sables’ momentum after winning the Africa Cup in Uganda.
“We are very fortunate to be able to get the boys back together, and this will be a brilliant life experience for everyone. The guys are able to go to Dubai and South Korea, which is a first for many, including myself.

“We are trying to broaden our squad and deepen our team as we face a very strong UAE team as well as South Korea. South Korea are Asia Cup giants, and we are looking forward to putting on a good show for them,” said Benade.
With the match against UAE today, the Sables will then leave for a training camp in Seoul, South Korea tomorrow.
On November 16, the Sables will play a Test match against South Korea before they leave on November 18 to their respective home bases in Zimbabwe.

Sables Starting XV against UAE:
Jovan Bekker, Simba Mandioma, Munashe Mhere, David Makamba, Simba Siraha, Dylan Utete, Godfrey Muzanargwo, Tino Mavesere, Hilton Mudariki, Ian Prior, Edward Sigauke, Kudzai Mashawi, Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, Trevor Gurwe, Tadius Hwata.

Replacements:
Bryan Chiang, Tyran Fagan, Bornwell Gwinji, Nyasha Tarusenga, Aiden Burnett, Keegan Joubert, Kyle Godwin, Kelvin Kanenungo.