Rhodesia national rugby union team
 |
|
| Union | Zimbabwe Rugby Union |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Sables |
| Emblem(s) | Zimbabwe Bird |
| Coach(es) |
 Cyprian Madenge
|
| Captain(s) |
Denford Mutamangira
|
| First international | |
 Southern Rhodesia (uncapped) 11 - 24 British Isles  (30 July 1910) |
|
| Largest win | |
Zimbabwe 130 - 10 Botswana  (9 September 1996) |
|
| Largest defeat | |
 Namibia 80 - 6 Zimbabwe (15 August 2015) |
|
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 2 (First in 1987) |
| Best result | Zimbabwe 20–21 Romania |
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation by World Rugby (WR), the international governing body for the sport of rugby union. The Zimbabwe team has participated in rugby activities since the late 19th century with matches being played against touring international teams as early as 1910.
The national team has a long association with touring British Isles teams, who would regularly play matches against them in their tours of South Africa. The earliest tour being in 1910 when Zimbabwe was known as Southern Rhodesia. The side has also played New Zealand on several occasions, the first being in the late 1920s.
The Zimbabwe national rugby team have competed at two Rugby World Cup tournaments, the first in 1987 and the second in 1991. With the Apartheid-era exclusion of South Africa, Zimbabwe was the first African nation to compete in the World Cup, although they are yet to win a finals fixture. The team are also known as the Sables.
When the Pioneer Column arrived in Rhodesia from the Cape Province in 1890 it brought with it the country's first rugby players. The oldest clubs in the country, Queens and the Bulawayo Athletic Club, were formed in 1894 in Bulawayo and the Rhodesia Rugby Football Union was founded one year later in 1895.
The first tour by a Rhodesian team to South Africa took place in 1898, and was composed of players from the five biggest clubs in the two major settlements of Bulawayo and Salisbury (today called Harare).
A British Lions team played a side called Southern Rhodesia on 30 July in 1910 in Bulawayo, the British saw victory, beating the team 24 points to 11. In 1924 a British side would play another match against Rhodesia, on 24 July in Salisbury, the British won 16 to 3. On 14 July 1928, Rhodesia played in Bulawayo against New Zealand, losing 8 to 44.
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