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A Nice Balance of the Regions as Côte d’Ivoire Hosts Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division 1

A qualifier for the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, the tournament kicks off tomorrow, Friday April 11, with the opening match of Uganda vs Tunisia at 14:00 GMT.

From North to South, East to West, the tournament proudly showcases a balanced regional representation, bringing together some of the most competitive nations in African women’s rugby. Held in San-Pédro, the second largest city in Côte d’Ivoire, the event will feature four teams: Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

The stakes are high, as the winning nation will secure the final spot for the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, joining South Africa, Kenya, and Madagascar—the current powerhouses of African women’s rugby. Scheduled from April 11 to 19 at Stade Auguste-Denis in San-Pédro, this tournament promises to be a showcase of strategy, talent, and athleticism.

Uganda enter into the tournament as favorites if the East Africans replicate their impressive performance at the 2024 Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Tournament.

The Lady Cranes came a credible third out of 12 at the 2024 Women’s Sevens in Ghanaian capital Accra last November behind champions South Africa and runners-up Kenya.

Team chemistry and continuity will also be a big plus for the Ugandans. In addition to the bulk of their Côte d’Ivoire-bound 28-member squad being Sevens players as well, coach Charles Onen was also in charge of the Sevens outfit during their admirable run in Accra.  

This will go a long way in mitigating the effects of the Lady Cranes not having played any Fifteens matches since November 2023.  

With a significant portion of the “Lady Cranes” squad coming from the sevens format, coach Charles Onen is banking on their preparation and cohesion. “80 percent of the girls have been with the Sevens set-up, they’ve been conditioning themselves so well,” Onen explained. 

Be that as it may, Onen understands that the Fifteens game is a different kettle of fish mainly because of their rivals’ opposing attributes, such as physicality. His players, he said, will have to squeeze out every ounce of potential in themselves and play to their strength to counter their opponents’ game.

“All players have different strengths, which we expect them to exploit, make sure they deliver to the best of their abilities,” remarked Onen.

While Onen will enjoy the benefits of familiarity,Zimbabwe steps up to the challenge under the guidance of new coach Nsikelelo Sibanda, who joined just a few weeks before the tournament.

“It’s a difficult situation,” Sibanda told Rugby Africa. “We would have appreciated two or three friendly matches before this tournament to test our combinations. But considering the time frame, we are doing the best we can.”

But Sibanda is a very experienced and well-respected coach in his country – having previously occupied the position of National Director of Rugby among several other roles in a coaching career spanning over 20 years.  

In the short period of time he has put the players through their paces following his newest appointment, local press corps have noted a “structure” in the Lady Sables’ play.

“Our goal is to give it our best shot and build on the performances going forward,” said Sibanda.

“Despite not knowing some of the players, everyone has been given an equal opportunity. Most of the players are new to me.”

As for Tunisia, the objective is clear: to qualify for the final stage of the championship. “The goal is qualification,” said Noureddine Amara, Technical Director of the Tunisian Rugby Federation.

What about the hosts Côte d’Ivoire? The Ivorian team is determined to show they can compete with the best and there is no better platform than in front of the home crowd.

“Our public is very important for us,” said Ivorian Rugby Federation spokesman Paul Tidou.

“Even though rugby is not as popular as football, we count on all Ivorians to rally behind the national flag. As a great nation, our goal is to take leadership of rugby in Africa. We know that it is great test for our ladies to challenge strong teams like Zimbabwe but why not, we want to aim for the top! But also importantly, we want to succeed in hosting a well-organised tournament.”  

Organized by Rugby Africa (www.rugbyafrique.com), the continental governing body of Rugby across Africa, in partnership with Cote d’Ivoire Rugby Federation, the 2025 tournament features host nation Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The winning nation will secure the final spot in the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, joining South Africa, Kenya and Madagascar.

Match Day 1: Friday 11 April 2025 (Local Time) (GMT)

• Game 1: Uganda vs Tunisia (14:00)
• Game 2: Zimbabwe vs Cote d’Ivoire (16:00)

Match Day 2: Tuesday 15 April 2025 (Local Time) (GMT)

• Game 3: Zimbabwe vs Tunisia (14:00)
• Game 4: Uganda vs Cote d’Ivoire (16:00)

Match Day 3: Saturday 19 April 2025 (Local Time) (GMT)

• Game 5: Tunisia vs Cote d’Ivoire (10:00)
• Game 6: Zimbabwe vs Uganda (12:00)

Written by Enock Muchinjo

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