Sports / Rugby
Zimbabwean rugby team rises on IRB rankings
19 Jul 2011 at 03:08hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Sables' recent performance in the Africa Cup and the tri-nations Victoria Cup have left many believing local rugby might just be emerging from the doldrums.
The Sables' performances resulted in the team climbing further in the IRB World Rankings to 38th after a 49 - 21 demolishing of Uganda at Bulawayo's home of rugby, Hartsfield Grounds in the triangular series against Uganda and Kenya.
That was Zimbabwe Sable's third consecutive win in the triangular as they beat Uganda 25-15 in the first leg before seeing off the challenge of Kenya 42-24.
The rise meant that the Sables have reached a new high since the Rankings were introduced in October 2003 for a second successive week having climbed five places last week following victory against Uganda.
This comes after a decade of economic and social crisis affected rugby, leaving players, officials and all stakeholders disillusioned about the future of the sport. Most of them left for greener pastures outside the country.
The success–starved rugby fans have responded by keenly following the Sables' performances when playing away from home and turning out in their numbers to support the team when they play at home.
Who can forget the electrifying atmosphere at Harare Sports Club when the Sables thumped Kenya and at Hartsfield Grounds in Bulawayo when they completed back to back wins over Uganda.
Even the body language of the team, the players and the technical staff speaks of professionalism, single-mindedness and true team spirit.
The Sables recently received a shot in the arm when Delta Beverages unveiled a US$200 000 sponsorship deal towards the improvement of the game.
The Zimbabwe Rugby Union has over the years been relying on an annual grant from the International Rugby Board, which is not enough to cater for all the association's needs.
The Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) leadership, led by Themba Sibanda, are doing wonders with The Zimbabwe Sables.
Sables Chairman, Dumisani Moyo's challenge when he took over was to turn around the Sables fortunes and ensure they are reflective of their status as the nation's flagship rugby team and he is on the right path.
VIEW FULL IRB RANKINGS >>
The Sables' performances resulted in the team climbing further in the IRB World Rankings to 38th after a 49 - 21 demolishing of Uganda at Bulawayo's home of rugby, Hartsfield Grounds in the triangular series against Uganda and Kenya.
That was Zimbabwe Sable's third consecutive win in the triangular as they beat Uganda 25-15 in the first leg before seeing off the challenge of Kenya 42-24.
The rise meant that the Sables have reached a new high since the Rankings were introduced in October 2003 for a second successive week having climbed five places last week following victory against Uganda.
This comes after a decade of economic and social crisis affected rugby, leaving players, officials and all stakeholders disillusioned about the future of the sport. Most of them left for greener pastures outside the country.
The success–starved rugby fans have responded by keenly following the Sables' performances when playing away from home and turning out in their numbers to support the team when they play at home.
Even the body language of the team, the players and the technical staff speaks of professionalism, single-mindedness and true team spirit.
The Sables recently received a shot in the arm when Delta Beverages unveiled a US$200 000 sponsorship deal towards the improvement of the game.
The Zimbabwe Rugby Union has over the years been relying on an annual grant from the International Rugby Board, which is not enough to cater for all the association's needs.
The Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) leadership, led by Themba Sibanda, are doing wonders with The Zimbabwe Sables.
Sables Chairman, Dumisani Moyo's challenge when he took over was to turn around the Sables fortunes and ensure they are reflective of their status as the nation's flagship rugby team and he is on the right path.
VIEW FULL IRB RANKINGS >>
Source - Byo24Sports
