Young Sables start preparations for Barthes Trophy

Innocent Kurira

ZIMBABWE has set in motion plans for the Rugby Africa Under-20 Barthes Trophy title defence with the naming of a 73-member high-performance squad for the 2023 competition.

The Barthes Trophy is the biggest competition for Under-20 players on the continent with the winners qualifying for the World Rugby Junior Trophy.

Kenya will once again host the continent’s Under-20 championship, which will feature eight teams namely, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, Madagascar, Uganda, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast.

The competition is set for April.

Zimbabwe won the 2022 edition of the competition after beating Namibia in the final.

The young Zimbabweans managed to get the grail following their three matches without defeat.

The Zimbabweans defeated Tunisia (19-18) and Madagascar (32-03) in the semi-finals, before beating arch-rivals Namibia 19-14 in the final. Prior to that triumph in Kenya, had last won the competition in 2011.

They followed that up with another successful campaign at the World Rugby U20s Canada Conference.

Zimbabwe’s Under-20 rugby side ended their campaign at the high-profile tourney in style with a 43-35 win over Chile at the Guelph University in Ontario, Canada.

The victory secured a second overall finish for the Junior Sables in the four-nation series after beating hosts Canada in the first match before going down to the eventual winners Uruguay.