Zimbabwe Sables Return to Chaplin High to Inspire Next Generation of Rugby Talent
World Cup bound Zimbabwe Sables return to Chaplin High School in Gweru on 30 April 2026 for a special meet-and-greet with schools in the Midlands Province. Building on their 2024 coaching clinic and trophy presentation, the visit aims to mentor young players and promote rugby development amid the team's resurgence toward the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Delicious Mathuthu 
Gweru - As Zimbabwe's world cup bound national rugby team, the Sables, continue their resurgence on the African and international stage, they are set to make a special visit today, Thursday 30 April, to one of the country's historic rugby nurseries in Gweru, Chaplin High School.
Today the senior Sables, set to take part in the 2027 Australia Rugby World Cup, will descend on Chaplin High School in the Midlands Province for a meet-and-greet engagement with local schools in collaboration with the Midlands Rugby Board (MRB).
The event, scheduled for 11 a.m. at the school, aims to bridge the gap between national heroes and aspiring young players in the province.
In a formal letter, the MRB said the Sables visit seeks to inspire young players and learners through direct interaction with national team athletes, while promoting rugby development within schools across Midlands Province.
MRB Chairperson, Darren Levendale, said the goal of the visit is to foster mentorship, guiding pathways to professional and national-level sport and encouraging discipline, teamwork and commitment both on and off the field for young and upcoming players.
He said the initiative also intends to strengthen ties between schools and provincial rugby structures for a more unified development system.
"This initiative offers learners a rare opportunity to meet their sporting heroes and role models, gain valuable insight into what it takes to represent Zimbabwe at national level, and receive motivation and encouragement in both sport and academics," Levendale said.
He said the platform is also an opportunity for learners to explore career pathways in rugby and the wider sports industrt.
The Sables have recently enjoyed renewed success, including victories in the Rugby Africa Cup that have positioned them for a return to the Rugby World Cup after a long absence, their last appearances having been in 1987 and 1991.
The resurgence has injected fresh optimism into the sport across the country.
A Return to Familiar Ground
This will not be the Sables' first engagement at Chaplin High School. In September 2024, following their triumph in the Rugby Africa Cup, the national team brought the coveted Rugby Afrique Trophy to the Midlands Province and hosted a coaching clinic at the very same school in Gweru.
The visit formed part of a victory lap that included interactions with young players and a subsequent match against a Bulawayo Province Select side.
The 2024 engagement was widely praised for its impact on schoolboy rugby in the region. Students at Chaplin High had the chance to interact directly with senior national players, receive coaching tips and witness the tangible reward of continental success.
The 2024 clinic also helped reinforce rugby's presence in Midlands schools at a time when the national team's fortunes were on the upswing.
Chaplin High School has long been regarded as a stronghold for rugby in Zimbabwe, producing talented players who have progressed through provincial and national ranks.
