Newly appointed Zimbabwe Senior Women’s Rugby Head Coach, Nsikelelo “Sykes” Sibanda, has announced an extended training squad and technical team as preparations intensify for the Rugby Africa Division One Women’s Tournament.
The competition, set to take place in Ivory Coast from April 9 to 20, will see Zimbabwe competing against Uganda, Tunisia, and hosts Ivory Coast.
The tournament winner will earn a coveted spot in the Rugby Africa Cup alongside South Africa, Kenya, and Madagascar.
With limited time and resources, Sibanda emphasized the urgency of making every training session count.
“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 second on the field very seriously,” said Sibanda.
The provisional squad includes a mix of seasoned players and emerging talents, with several Under-20 players from the recent Harare Provincial Tournament earning a call-up.
These Under-20 players are currently part of the Harare, Manicaland and Matabeleland Provincial Rugby Leagues, showcasing the depth of young talent available for selection.
“This huge provisional squad includes Under-20 players who just came from the Provincial Tournaments going on and are raising their hands to play. But we will need anything close to a miracle to reach the standard we want in such a short period,” he added.
Before heading to Ivory Coast, the Lady Sables will have their last competitive test in the highly anticipated Nedbank Challenge Cup from March 29 to April 5.
This will provide the team with valuable match time and an opportunity to finalize the squad selection.
“Thanks to Nedbank, we have a chance to get some competitive local game time and trim our final squad ready for this task. I am working on a culture of winning and a relentless desire to enjoy that feeling,
“We are going there to compete and come out with something to motivate us to grow the teams pride and brings smiles back home,” Sibanda stated. ZRU media