Zimbabwe Beat Kenya To Retain Barthes U20 Trophy, Qualify For World Cup
Zimbabwe Under20 rugby team defeated Kenya’s national U20 rugby team, Chipu, 28-7 on Sunday, to retain the Barthes U20 title and qualify for the Junior World Cup.
The match took place at Nyayo Stadium in Kenya.
The champions started strong, with Edward Sigauke scoring the first try to take a 7-0 lead shortly after kickoff. Simbarashe Kanyangarara added another try moments later, making it 14-0. In rugby, a try is worth five points and is scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area of the opposing team with downward pressure. The team can then attempt a conversion kick for two additional points.
Kenya’s Laban Kipsang responded with a try, cutting the gap to 14-7. However, Zimbabwe extended their lead to 14 points at halftime after Alex Nyamunda scored a try.
In the second half, Zimbabwe was reduced to 14 men after Zuvunda Gutu received a straight red card, but this did not stop the Young Sables from sealing the win with a late try from Sigauke, who scored twice.
The results mean that both Kenya and Zimbabwe qualified for the World Rugby U20 Trophy. Kenya qualified as hosts, and Zimbabwe secured their spot by winning the Barthes U20 title.
The World Rugby U20 Trophy is scheduled for July 15 in Nairobi, and teams like Scotland, Hong Kong, and Samoa will participate.
Zimbabwe advanced to the final of the Barthes Trophy after beating Tunisia 60-6 in a semifinal held at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.
