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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE Rugby Union (ZRU) vice-president Martin Shone says they have begun working to ensure the Sables qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

The Sables last qualified for the Rugby World Cup in 1991 when it was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France.

The 2023 draw was conducted in Paris on Monday and the Sables have to either win the Rugby Africa Cup in 2022 or go through the difficult cross-regional qualifiers to rub shoulders with world rugby’s elite nations.

Should the Sables qualify for the World Cup, they will join a tough Pool A, which consists of France, New Zealand and Italy.

Already 12 teams have secured places at France 2023 by virtue of finishing in the top three of their respective pools in the 2019 Rugby World Cup staged in Japan.

The remaining eight places will be determined by a process of regional and cross-regional qualifiers.

Shone said the recently launched Sables Rugby World Cup 2023 Campaign will be crucial in raising funds to ensure Zimbabwe make it to France.

“We held a function at Borrowdale Race Course on December 8 that was attended by captains of industry and the ZRU presidium. The campaign was launched to get the corporate world to support our fundraising project,” said Shone.

“We have also launched an auction where some paraphernalia from the likes of Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, David Pocock and Adrian Garvey will be auctioned to raise funds for the Sables’ cause. These three are some of the ambassadors that will be helping us raise funds for 2023.”

Despite losing an entire season to Covid-19, ZRU has not lost focus in its bid to ensure the Sables qualify for their first World Cup after three decades.

Shone said they were still awaiting the greenlight from the Sports and Recreation Commission to resume rugby activities.

“We are prepared to resume activities in the country and are just waiting to get the go ahead from the SRC. We have our medical committee ready and have also put in place measures that guarantee a safe return of players to the field. Should we be given the greenlight, we are ready to resume immediately,” Shone said. – @innocentskizoe