Zimbabwe national rugby union team
| Nickname | The Sables | |
|---|---|---|
| Emblem | Sable antelope | |
| Union | Zimbabwe Rugby Union | |
| Head coach | Pieter Benade | |
| Captain | Hilton Mudariki | |
| Home stadium | Harare Sports Club | |
| ||
| World Rugby ranking | ||
| Current | 24 (as of 24 November 2025) | |
| Highest | 24 (2025) | |
| Lowest | 57 (2007, 2008) | |
| First international | ||
| Southern Rhodesia 11–24 British and Irish Lions (Bulawayo, Rhodesia; 30 July 1910) as Zimbabwe Kenya 24–34 Zimbabwe (Nairobi, Kenya, 23 May 1981) | ||
| Biggest win | ||
| Zimbabwe 130–10 Botswana (Harare, Zimbabwe 9 September 1996) | ||
| Biggest defeat | ||
| Namibia 80–6 Zimbabwe (Windhoek, Namibia; 15 August 2015) | ||
| World Cup | ||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1987) | |
| Best result | Pool stage (1987, 1991) | |
| Website | [1] | |
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team, nicknamed the Sables, represents the Zimbabwe Rugby Union in international competition. While sides representing the colony of Rhodesia have played as early as 1910, the modern day Zimbabwe rugby team did not play its first test until 1981, against Kenya. Zimbabwe has competed in two World Cups, in 1987 and 1991, in place of South Africa, who were sanctioned by the IRB at the time due to apartheid. Zimbabwe is categorized as Tier 3 Development One, which prioritizes Zimbabwe over other nations due to historical success as well as popularity of rugby in the nation.
During the colonial days, the team had an association with touring British Isles teams, who regularly played matches against them in their tours of South Africa; the earliest tour being in 1910 when Zimbabwe was known as Southern Rhodesia. The side has also played New Zealand on several occasions, the first being in the late 1920s; Rhodesia was the only non-Tier 1 nation to defeat the All Blacks, as the Southern Rhodesian side beat New Zealand in 1947.
Zimbabwe currently compete in the Africa Cup. Zimbabwe have won the competition three times, in 2012, 2024, and 2025, beating favourites Namibia in the lattermost tournament to qualify for the 2027 World Cup. They have finished as Africa Cup runners up in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Zimbabwe is one of only 4 nations in Africa to qualify for the Rugby World Cup, the others being heavyweights South Africa, and Namibia and the Ivory Coast. The Sables maintain fierce rivalries with regional neighbors Namibia and Kenya, as the respective three nations have vied for African supremacy since the 2000s.