# Zimbabwe at the Rugby World Cup

Zimbabwe have made two Rugby World Cup appearances – in 1987 and 1991.
In the 1987 Rugby World Cup, Zimbabwe's national rugby team was invited as the African entrant. No other African countries were invited, as South Africa was disqualified from the tournament due to a sporting boycott adopted by the international community in response to apartheid.
However, Zimbabwe succeeded in getting through 1991 Rugby World Cup qualifying, and hosted the Africa qualifications. In more recent years, the Namibia national rugby union team has generally defeated Zimbabwe in African qualifying rounds.
| Nation | Number of appearances | First appearance | Most recent appearance | Streak | Best result |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 1987 | 1991 | 2 | No games won |

## By position

| Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification |
| Year | Round | P | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Head coach | P | W | D | L | F | A |
| 1987 | Pool stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 53 | 151 | Squad | B. Murphy | Automatically qualified | Automatically qualified | Automatically qualified | Automatically qualified | Automatically qualified | Automatically qualified |
| 1991 | Pool stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 158 | Squad | I. Buchanan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 12 |
| 1995 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 169 | 120 |
| 1999 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 125 | 102 |
| 2003 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 82 | 45 |
| 2007 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 55 | 84 |
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 35 |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 170 | 126 |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 139 | 162 |
| 2023 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 265 | 73 |
| Total | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 84 | 309 | — | — | 37 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 1088 | 759 |

## Matches
### 1987 Rugby World Cup

Pool 4 games –
| Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | T | Pts | Qualification |
| France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 145 | 44 | +101 | 25 | 5 | Knockout stage |
| Scotland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 135 | 69 | +66 | 22 | 5 | Knockout stage |
| Romania | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 61 | 130 | −69 | 6 | 2 | |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 53 | 151 | −98 | 5 | 0 | |
* 1 2 France qualify as pool winner having scored three tries to Scotland's two in their drawn match.
* 23 May 1987
| Romania | 21–20 | Zimbabwe |
| Try: Paraschiv Toader Hodorcă Pen: Alexandru (3) | | Try: Tsimba (2) Neill Con: Ferreira Pen: Ferreira (2) |
* Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 4,500 Referee: Stephen Hilditch (Ireland)
* 30 May 1987
| Scotland | 60–21 | Zimbabwe |
| Try: Tait (2) Tukalo (2) Duncan (2) Paxton (2) Oliver Hastings Jeffrey Con: Hastings (8) | | Try: Buitendag Con: Grobler Pen: Grobler (5) |
* Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 12,000 Referee: David Burnett (Ireland)
* 2 June 1987
| France | 70–12 | Zimbabwe |
| Try: Modin (3) Camberabero (3) Charvet (2) Rodriguez (2) Dubroca Estève Laporte Con: Camberabero (9) | | Try: Kaulback Con: Grobler Pen: Grobler (2) |
* Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

### 1991 Rugby World Cup

Pool 2 games –
| Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| Scotland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 36 | +86 | 6 |
| Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 102 | 51 | +51 | 4 |
| Japan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 77 | 87 | −10 | 2 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 158 | −127 | 0 |
* 6 October 1991
| Ireland | 55–11 | Zimbabwe |
| Tries: Robinson (4), Popplewell (2), Geoghegan, Curtis Con: Keyes (4) Pen: Keyes (5) | | Tries: Dawson, Schultz Pen: Ferreira |
* Lansdowne Road, Dublin Referee: Keith Lawrence
* 9 October 1991
| Scotland | 51–12 | Zimbabwe |
| Tries: Tukalo (3), Turnbull, S. Hastings, Stanger, Weir, White Con: Dods (5) Pen: Dods (2) Drop: Wylie | | Tries: Garvey (2) Con: Currin (2) |
* Murrayfield, Edinburgh Referee: Don Reordan
* 14 October 1991
| Japan | 52–8 | Zimbabwe |
| Tries: Yoshida (2), Mashuho (2), Kutsuki (2), Horikoshi, Luaiufi, Matsuo Con: Hosokawa (2) Pen: Hosokawa (4) | | Tries: Tsimba, Nguruve |
* Ravenhill, Belfast Referee: Rene Hourquet

### 1995 Rugby World Cup

Did not qualify.

### 1999 Rugby World Cup

Did not qualify.

### 2003 Rugby World Cup

Did not qualify.

### 2007 Rugby World Cup

Did not qualify.

### 2011 Rugby World Cup

Did not qualify.

### 2015 Rugby World Cup

Did not qualify.

### 2019 Rugby World Cup

Did not qualify.

## Overall record

| Country | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | % |
| Romania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 0 |
| Ireland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 55 | −44 | 0 |
| Japan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 52 | −44 | 0 |
| France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 70 | −58 | 0 |
| Scotland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 113 | −80 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 105 | 373 | −268 | 0 |

## Team Records
### Most Points in a Tournament

* 53 (1987)
* 31 (1991)

### Most Points in a Game

* 21 vs Scotland (1987)
* 20 vs Romania (1987)
* 12 vs Scotland (1991)
* 12 vs France (1987)

### Biggest Winning Margin

NIL

### Highest Score Against

* 70 vs France (1987)
* 60 vs Scotland (1987)
* 55 vs Ireland (1991)
* 52 vs Japan (1991)
* 51 vs Scotland (1991)

### Biggest Losing Margin

* 58 vs France (1987)
* 44 vs Ireland (1991)
* 44 vs Japan (1991)
* 39 vs Scotland (1987)
* 39 vs Scotland (1991)

### Most Tries in a Game

* 3 vs Romania (1987)
* 2 vs Scotland (1991)
* 2 vs Ireland (1991)
* 2 vs Japan (1991)

## Individual records
### Most appearances

* 6 Michael Martin (1987, 1991)
* 5 Richard Tsimba (1987, 1991)
* 4 Andy Ferreria (1987, 1991)
* 4 Craig Brown (1987, 1991)
* 4 Alex Nicholis (1987, 1991)

### Most points overall

* 25 Marthinus Grobler (1987)
* 12 Richard Tsimba (1987, 1991)
* 11 Andy Ferreria (1987, 1991)
* 8 Adrian Garvey (1991)

### Most points in a game

* 17 vs Scotland – Marthinus Grobler (1987)
* 8 vs Scotland – Adrian Garvey (1991)
* 8 vs Romania – Andy Ferreria (1987)
* 6 vs Romania – Richard Tsimba (1987)

### Most tries overall

* 2 Richard Tsimba (1987, 1991)
* 2 Adrian Garvey (1991)

### Most penalty goals

* 7 Marthinus Grobler (1987)
* 3 Andy Ferreria (1987, 1991)

### Most penalty goals in a game

* 5 vs Scotland – Marthinus Grobler (1987)
* 2 vs France – Marthinus Grobler (1987)
* 2 vs Romania – Andy Ferreria (1987)
* 1 vs Ireland – Andy Ferreria (1991)