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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
LACK of international standard infrastructure has cost Zimbabwe an opportunity to host the Rugby Africa Cup 2022 (RAC2022).

The competition serves as the last qualifying round for the 2023 Rugby World Cup to be held in France.

Zimbabwe, Kenya and Namibia had applied to host the event, but none got the nod as Rugby Afrique settled for France.

Social media users questioned the decision to stage an African qualifier in France, but Rugby Afrique said the well-being, health and safety of players and staff remained its key priority, and argued that France would host a tournament of the highest international standards in all spheres, encompassing infrastructure and Covid-19 protocols and regulations.

“With a long tradition of hosting Rugby Africa tournaments and activities, France and Rugby Afrique are already in a close collaboration process which will provide the eight competing teams with an exceptional tournament and ideal hosting conditions to concentrate on a single goal, win the final match and qualify directly for Rugby World Cup 2023 which will also take place in France,” said Rugby Afrique.

The RAC2022 will kick off in July in a knockout format, with eight teams competing.

The winner of the event automatically qualifies for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Runners-up will join the Repêchage tournament, which offers one last attempt to qualify for the World Cup.

The opening round will see Namibia, Senegal, Uganda and Zimbabwe taking on Burkina Faso, Algeria, Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire respectively.

Fans will be able to follow the tournament on social networks and live in the stadium if the regulations in force in July 2022 allow it.

Khaled Babbou, Rugby Africa president, said France is a great rugby nation and France 2023 will be able to highlight Rugby Africa’s most important tournament to date.

“It is a major tournament, which promises a high-quality show and which is now attracting the attention of the sports world outside African borders. We look forward to being able to show the world, fans from all continents, the progress and quality of African rugby.

I would like to thank France 2023 for this support as well as all the organisations that responded to the call for applications and in particular the Kenyan rugby federation, the Zimbabwean rugby federation and the Namibian rugby federation, which regularly organise other major tournaments for Rugby Africa brilliantly,” said Babbou.

Claude Atcher, chief executive officer of France 2023, said they are delighted to welcome the eight best African teams for the qualification tournament, with a double objective to highlight the work carried out by all federations for years as well as the level of sports of the qualified teams, and to engage their territories in a pre-celebration of the Rugby World Cup.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup will be held between September 8 and October 28 of that year. — @innocentskizoe