Uganda and Zimbabwe recorded comfortable victories today on the opening day of the Rugby Africa Women’s Division One tournament at Stade Auguste Denise, Côte d’Ivoire.

Pre-tournament favourites Uganda survived a scare from a determined Tunisian side to win 27-10. With the East Africans’ Sevens rugby contingent providing the flair for the Lady Cranes to flourish. Uganda led rather comfortably at half-time, 20-5.

However, the scoreline didn’t fully reflect Tunisia’s resilience and effort. The North Africans matched Uganda in intensity but were let down by critical handling errors and knock-ons at decisive moments. With more composure, the game could have unfolded quite differently in the second half.

Returning to Fifteens rugby after a two-year hiatus, Zimbabwe struggled to find their rhythm in the opening half and went into halftime level at 8-8—perhaps a missed opportunity for the enterprising Ivorians.

But the Lady Sables came out of their shell in the second half to display their truest attacking potential. The Lady Sables’ bigger set of forwards laid a solid platform for their hard-running backs, and in the end the Southern Africans emerged victorious by 46-8.

All four teams will return to the field on Tuesday, April 15 for the second round of this round-robin competition. The tournament winner will earn promotion to the elite Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in June, where South Africa, Kenya, and Madagascar await in what promises to be a thrilling showdown of the continent’s best.

The 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Division One 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. 

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

• 14:00 – Uganda (27) vs Tunisia (10)
• 16:00 – Zimbabwe (46) vs Cote d’Ivoire (8)

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

• 14:00 – Zimbabwe vs Tunisia
• 16:00 – Uganda vs Côte d’Ivoire

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

• 10:00 – Tunisia vs Côte d’Ivoire  
• 12:00 – Zimbabwe vs Uganda