Zimbabwe’s Under 20 National girls team will host South Africa’s Under 20 girls in a historic two match bilateral series in Harare on the 26th and 29th of June 2019, 263Chat has established.
This will be the first time that a South African ladies 15s side will be touring Zimbabwe at Under-20 level.
The conception of having a bilateral sporting arrangement is an attribute to consistent competitive performances by Zimbabwe’s Under-18 girls teams at the South Africa Youth Weeks for the past four years.
In 2015, the Zimbabwe Under 18 won two out of three matches and came fourth overall out of 60 teams. However, they performed better the following year where they moved one level up and were ranked third.
The team then gave a sterling performance in 2017 winning three games and earning a well-deserved second place ranking.
Last year, the girls dropped one place from second back to third ranking after winning two out three matches.
Head Coach Nsikelelo Sibanda, who has coached the Under 18 side will be in charge of the Under 20 team scheduled to host South Africa.
He believes that the girls will continue to make strong impressions in Africa and this will build up to greater competitions.
“As a result of our performances South Africa Rugby Union (SARU) saw it fit that we start building our Under 20 sides along with them. They were looking for the best possible competition in Africa and they settled for Zimbabwe basing on the performance of our Under 18 girls.”
“This is a historic moment for us as we earmark to build our women’s rugby and hopefully we will be playing 15s test rugby against them at senior level as well as Under 20 level,” said Sibanda.
Prior to the bilateral series, some of the Under 20 girls in the Under 18 side will travel to Jeppe Boys High in Johannesburg for this years edition of the SARU Youth Weeks from the 17th to the 21st of June.
Zimbabwe will be the main feature on the opening day of the youth week as they face Kwazulu-Natal at 15:40 hrs on the 18th of June 2019.
