THE Zimbabwe senior women’s rugby team has stepped up preparations for the Rugby Africa Division One women’s tournament, a qualifier for the Africa Cup, set to take place in Ivory Coast next month.
Scheduled to run from April 9 to 20, the tournament will see Zimbabwe competing against Uganda, Tunisia and hosts Ivory Coast.
The winner will secure a coveted spot in the Rugby Africa Cup alongside South Africa, Kenya and Madagascar.
Newly-appointed head coach Nsikelelo “Sykes” Sibanda announced an extended 57-member training squad and technical team yesterday as preparations for the competition intensified.
The provisional squad includes a mix of seasoned players and emerging talents, with several Under-20 players from the recent Harare Provincial Tournament earning call-ups.
Sibanda emphasised the need to maximise limited time and resources in their quest to win the title.
“We have very little time and resources to pull off an upset in this upcoming tournament and the whole squad is taking every training opportunity and every second on the field very seriously,” he said.
“This large provisional squad includes Under-20 players who have just come from the provincial tournaments and are eager to prove themselves.
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“However, we will need something close to a miracle to reach the standard we want in such a short period.”
Zimbiru Titans have the highest number of forwards in the extended squad, with 12 players out of the 37 called up.
FS Raiders have five, while Old Hararians have four forwards in the provisional squad.
In the defensive department, Harare Sports Club and FS Raiders each have five players in the squad, while Police defenders have three of the 22 vying for a place in the final squad.
Before heading to Ivory Coast, the Lady Sables will have their final competitive test in the highly anticipated Nedbank Challenge Cup, running from March 29 to April 5.
This will provide the team with valuable match time and an opportunity to finalise squad selection.
“Thanks to Nedbank, we have a chance to get some competitive local game time and trim our final squad for this task,” Sibanda said.
“I am working on instilling a culture of winning and a relentless desire to enjoy that feeling.
“We are going there to compete and to achieve something that will motivate us to grow the team’s pride and bring smiles back home.”
With the final squad selection set to take place after the Nedbank Challenge Cup, all eyes will be on the Lady Sables as they prepare for this crucial tournament.
