By McGeorge Mbare
ZIMBABWE men’s rugby national team, the Sables, will lock horns with Canada in their Nations Cup fixture on Sunday, July 19, 2026, marking their third match of the tournament.
The tournament serves as prestigious preparation for the Sables’ World Cup journey.
Zimbabwe punched their ticket to the showpiece event in Australia with a 30-28 victory over Namibia in the Rugby Africa Cup Final last year.
In an interview with Ziyah News Network, Sables coach Pieter Benade spoke about the importance of these Nations Cup matches. He said“These matches will be a massive step up in intensity and we will need to make use of these opportunities to get a taste of things to come in 2027.”
The Sables will be looking to return to their winning rhythm against Canada as they also seek to sharpen the squad’s strength ahead of their World Cup fixtures this summer.
Zimbabwe played and lost their first two matches, a 36-26 defeat to Tonga and a 31-15 historic first loss to the USA Eagles at American Legion Stadium, where the Eagles pulled out a second-half victory.
Despite the results, there have been encouraging signs for Pieter Benade’s side as they continue to build towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The USA Eagles will face another tough test next, hosting Spain at Cary’s First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on 18 July, before Canada host Zimbabwe.