Zimbabwe beats Namibia to qualify for 2027 Rugby World Cup
Led by captain Hilton Mudariki, Zimbabwe sealed their ticket to the global tournament - set to be held in Australia - with a spirited performance at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
The closely contested first half ended in a 16-16 stalemate, but the Sables returned stronger after the break. Tries from Godfrey Muzanargwo and Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, along with flawless conversions by Ian Prior, pushed Zimbabwe to a commanding 30-16 lead.
Namibia, however, staged a late comeback with two tries and a conversion, narrowing the deficit to just two points. A missed penalty in the dying moments ultimately cost them the match, handing Zimbabwe the Rugby Africa Cup trophy and their first World Cup qualification since 1991.
"We are very happy that we have remained focused since the start of the competition and eventually qualified for the World Cup after last making it in 1991. I want to thank all the players and technical bench for a job well done," Mudariki told Xinhua.
In an earlier classification match, host Uganda avoided relegation by defeating Cote d'Ivoire 37-17 to finish seventh out of eight teams.
Algeria pulled off a surprise 15-5 win over Kenya to claim third place, while Senegal edged Morocco 33-28 to secure fifth.
Herbert Mensah, President of Rugby Africa, praised the organizers and commended the quality of competition throughout the tournament.
"The level of competition in the tournament was high and I want to thank all the eight teams for the good show. Congratulations to the Zimbabwe team for qualifying for the World Cup, and Namibia - you still have a chance to qualify through the repechage," said Mensah.
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