Pieter Benade, head coach

On being draw with England, Wales and Tonga in Pool F:

"Playing England is a massive opportunity. It’s difficult to see where teams will be in two years' time, but playing England is going to be insane and magical for the guys and for us [coaches] to prepare on how to cope against them. With the Welsh, you think they’re battling at the moment, but in two years, who knows where they could be? We shouldn’t read too much into the form of the other teams." 

On Zimbabwe testing themselves: 

"Our first goal is to look at the Tongans and see what can happen there. We also need to have a proper crack at Wales and enjoy the occasion, and then do something that makes every African proud when we play England. Playing a top three side like England is what we were hoping for. For where we are at the moment, to get an opportunity to play the best players in the world is something very special, and it’s up to us to make the most of it." 

On the Rugby Africa Men's Cup final, which secured Zimbabwe’s first Rugby World Cup qualification since 1991: 

"Going back to that final, there was an enormous amount of pressure on the players and the coaching group, understanding there was something massive on our doorstep which was possible to achieve. I think the boys handled themselves well, possibly better than the coaches!" 

On seeing Zimbabwe’s flag represented at the draw: 

"I wasn’t quite in disbelief, but yesterday it was amazing to see our country’s flag amongst the best teams in the world. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved as a little group and the opportunity that lies ahead."

On having the draw two years out from the tournament: 

"I think clarity or certainty is always a benefit to everybody. As a coaching group, we've started attending the high-performance workshops hosted by World Rugby and all the other services that they offer, which are there to help us, so we’re very grateful for that. We need to make use of those services and the competitions that they’re offering us.
So, we feel blessed to have been part of this now, but we don't want this to be a one-off."

On Zimbabwe’s expectations: 

"Historically, Africans [except South Africa] haven’t done well in a World Cup. Every team (in 2027) is trying to qualify for the knockout stages. We will definitely be trying to win a match which no other African team has ever done."

On the new World Rugby Nations Cup next year: 

"We are very fortunate that World Rugby has these six fixtures for us. So we are going to experience the Samoans, Chile, USA, Uruguay (to name a few), which are games where we can work out where we stand and what needs to be worked on. For 2027, we’ve already started conversations with other tier 2 teams, particularly Canada, Hong Kong and Samoa, who will be looking for fixtures."

On the long-term goal beyond the 2027 World Cup for Zimbabwe: 

"We’re working with World Rugby, and we’ve received a larger grant than we’ve seen in the past. It’s on us to make sure our system is sustainable and not chase short-term goals. We will enjoy this World Cup, and the boys have achieved something very special, but it’s not the end of the road for us. We need to have our eyes on long-term development, which lasts 12 years, not four."