The Rugby Africa Women’s Cup is an annual tournament on the continent that began not long ago, in 2019, featuring 12 African countries competing in rugby 15s. This year, the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division I is being held in Côte d’Ivoire, specifically in the town of San Pedro. The countries participating in this year’s tournament are Uganda, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, and the host nation. The games are scheduled to run from April 9 to 20.
The tournament winner will qualify for the main Rugby Africa Cup, which already includes South Africa, Kenya, and Madagascar. Additionally, the tournament serves as a qualification for the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The matches will be played in a round-robin format.
Teams
The Uganda Lady Rugby Cranes return to the international rugby 15s scene after nearly two years of inactivity. The team has high hopes of making a comeback after being strengthened with the national team’s 7s players. This change followed the Uganda Rugby Union’s withdrawal from the Rugby Sevens in the ongoing HSBC series. Uganda had qualified for the next stage in Poland as the last team following the games in South Africa earlier this year.
The Zimbabwean Lady Sables are also optimistic about their performance in the tournament. The team has renewed hopes with one of the greatest players in the sport in the country returning to the pitch and captaining the national team after taking a year away from the sport – Skumbuzo Muchenje.
Tunisia currently ranks 32nd in the world and enters the tournament as the highest-ranked team among the four. The team has also experienced the big stage, the Africa Cup, and this could be an opportunity for them to return and maintain their dominance on the continental level.
Lastly, the host country, Côte d’Ivoire, features a young team, and hosting the tournament is part of an effort to promote the sport in the nation. Since its inception in 2021, the team has only secured one international victory. This presents a significant challenge for the country as it continues to strive for growth in the sport.
Rugby Africa Women’s Cup
This is a Continental Tournament showcasing the top four women’s rugby teams in Africa. Teams must qualify for the tournament through Division or Zonal competitions. The tournament was established by Rugby Africa to promote the growth of women’s rugby across the continent.
Game Schedule
April 15
Zimbabwe vs. Tunisia
Uganda vs. Côte d’Ivoire
April 19
Tunisia vs. Côte d’Ivoire
Zimbabwe vs. Uganda
