Zimbabwe rugby boss Pieter Benade is laser-focused on making noise at the 2027 Rugby World Cup after his Sables squad locked down their spot. The 43-year-old coach admitted he grew up watching England on TV back in the day, and he'll face them in Pool F alongside Wales and Tonga. He said the whole thing feels surreal since he used to support England as a kid, and Rob Andrew was his hero.
Benade played in a warm-up match before Wales toured Zimbabwe when he was in primary school at Bryden. He remembers the old Five Nations highlight shows on ZBC that aired on Monday nights, and he'd record them on VHS to rewatch. The team hasn't appeared at the tournament since 1991, so it's been 36 years.
The expanded 24-team format means six pools of four, with the top two from each pool advancing automatically. The four best third-place finishers also move forward to the Round of 16.
Benade played in a warm-up match before Wales toured Zimbabwe when he was in primary school at Bryden. He remembers the old Five Nations highlight shows on ZBC that aired on Monday nights, and he'd record them on VHS to rewatch. The team hasn't appeared at the tournament since 1991, so it's been 36 years.
The expanded 24-team format means six pools of four, with the top two from each pool advancing automatically. The four best third-place finishers also move forward to the Round of 16.
