Zimbabwe Embassy Australia Launches Campaign to Mobilise Diaspora Support for 2027 Rugby World Cup

Adelaide - The Zimbabwean Embassy in Australia has initiated a major mobilisation effort to galvanise the nation's 60,000-strong Australian diaspora behind the national rugby team, the Sables, ahead of the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup.

Speaking at a community at the official launch of the ZimPride Tournament in South Australia, Zimbabwe Ambassador to Australia, Joe Tapera Mhishi, issued a direct appeal to sport-loving Zimbabweans to begin organising a formidable support network for the team.

The Sables are slated to play critical Group F fixtures against tier-one heavyweights Wales and England on October 2 and October 8, 2027, respectively.

Both matches are scheduled to take place in South Australia, providing a unique opportunity for the local community to act as a home crowd for the team while far from home.

“They will be playing very far from their motherland, they will be playing very far from their strongest fan base,” Ambassador Mhishi said.

“And that being the case, they are counting on the support of the more than 60,000 Zimbabweans that live in Australia,” he said.

The mobilisation effort is already underway, following inaugural meetings held in New South Wales in mid-February to draft a concept document for the support campaign.

The Embassy has offered to act as a central hub to link volunteers and organisers across the country to ensure the Sables have a solid support base when they take to the field.

“I therefore appeal to the Zimbabwean community across Australia, and in particular here in South Australia, to work together to create a strong support base for the Sables,” Mhishi added.

Zimbabwe secured their place in the 2027 Rugby World Cup following a historic and dominant run in the continental qualifiers.

The Sables ended a 36-year hiatus from the global stage by clinching the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup title in Kampala, Uganda.

The qualification campaign was defined by a seismic shift in African rugby hierarchy.

In the semi-finals, Zimbabwe unseated long-time rivals and perennial qualifiers Namibia, ending their decade-long dominance of the tournament.

The Sables defeated Namibia 30–28 in a thrilling final on July 19, 2025, to claim the African crown and the direct qualification slot as "Africa 1."

Under the guidance of head coach, Piet Benade, this victory marked Zimbabwe’s first successful qualification since 1991.

By winning the Rugby Africa Cup in both 2024 and 2025, the Sables have ascended to their highest World Rugby ranking in nearly a decade, entering the 2027 tournament as the premier side from the African continent alongside the automatically qualified powerhouse, South Africa.