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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 78519, member: 636"] The Zimbabwe Sables rugby coach, Piet Benade, has laid out a busy schedule aiming for the 2027 World Cup. He plans several tours and home matches over the next year to get his team ready. The program includes games against Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, and Namibia. This buildup targets the 2026 World Rugby Nations Cup, where they will face tougher competition like Canada, the USA, and Tonga. Benade said they need to close the performance gap between African rugby and the top level. Funding is key to making all these matches happen. The team is on a break until early January. Meanwhile, the coaches are working on recruitment, focusing on three tiers of players. Tier One targets professionals with Zimbabwean roots playing in major foreign leagues. Gary Porter has already confirmed his availability, and Benade says the World Cup qualification has sparked interest from others previously unavailable. [/QUOTE]