By Zim Sport Live Writer
Zimbabwe senior rugby team head coach Piet Benade has reinforced his coaching staff ahead of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup, adding former Sables captain Denford Mutamangira to his team.
The 40-year-old former international prop, who had a succesful career which included stints at Scottish sides AYR and Glasgow Warriors will work closely with forwards and scrum coach Joel Carew and his deputy Kevin Nqindi, focusing on the scrum and forward play.
Mutamangira adds more valuable knowledge and experience to an already formidable Sables technical team which also includes assistant Coach Ricky Chirengende, consultant: Gert Smal, defense coach Senna Esterhuizen and lineout coach Fortune Chipendu.
Champions Zimbabwe will play Morocco in the first of four quarter-finals of the Rugby Africa Cup in Uganda in July, a tournament that doubles as final qualifer for the 2027 World Cup.
This year in the second quarter-final in Kampala, hosts Uganda will take on neighbours Kenya in what promises to be hotly-contested contest between the two old rivals. The winner of that tie will meet the victor between Zimbabwe and Morocco in the semi-finals.
Last year’s losing finalists Algeria will clash with Ivory Coast in the first of the second batch of quarter-finals. The winner of that then comes up against the winner between Namibia and Senegal from the other quarter-final.
This year’s African champions will qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.