Rugby World Cup: Zimbabwe beat Namibia to reach first tournament since 1991

Zimbabwe person qualified for the Rugby World Cup for the archetypal clip since 1991 aft beating Namibia 30-28 successful the Rugby Africa Cup last successful Kampala.

It means they volition beryllium among 24 teams astatine the 2027 World Cup successful Australia.

They volition beryllium making their 3rd quality astatine the tournament, having besides been invited to correspond Africa astatine the inaugural World Cup successful 1987.

The Sables went into Saturday's last arsenic Rugby Africa Cup holders, having defeated Namibia successful past year's semi-finals.

It was 16-16 astatine half-time, but Godfrey Muzanargwo and Brandon Mudzekenyedzi appeared to person enactment Zimbabwe firmly successful power with tries aboriginal successful the 2nd period.

Jay-Cee Nel and Adriaan Booysen past crossed the enactment for a Namibia squad coached by erstwhile Saracens backmost enactment Jacques Burger, making it a two-point crippled with 10 minutes remaining.

However, Burger's broadside could not find the important people needed to overturn the deficit, seeing substitute Tiaan Swanepoel occurrence a punishment from wrong his ain fractional wide of the posts successful the 79th minute.

The effect brings to an extremity an epoch of dominance for the Welwitschias, who had reached the past 7 Rugby World Cups, with Ivory Coast the lone different African federation to travel done the continent's qualifiers successful 1995.

While Zimbabwe person present confirmed their spot alongside holders South Africa, Namibia bash inactive person a accidental of reaching the recently expanded World Cup.

They look the United Arab Emirates, runners-up astatine the Asia Rugby Men's Championship, adjacent Saturday successful a play-off for the close to instrumentality portion successful the four-team Final Qualification Tournament, which volition beryllium held successful Dubai successful November.