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Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
THE Sables are from next season expected to play at least three home games in a bid to give more game time to the players and also present thier fans a chance to watch them play at home.

With International Rugby Board vice-president Oregan Hoskins witnessing for himself the Dairibord Schools Rugby Festival, the Zimbabwe Rugby Union also took the chance to have meetings with him to try and help Zimbabwe “get back on the rugby map”.

The African tournament will be made out of six teams including Zimbabwe, a South African franchise, Namibia, Kenya and Madagascar giving each team an opportunity to play at least three home games per year.

“When I go back to the IRB for our meetings for the report on what I have seen here I would definitely give Zimbabwe thumbs up and tell the council that Zimbabwe is ready to host a tournament under the auspices of the IRB.

“We also looked at the possibility of having the national team playing in more home Tests so that people can see their national team and allow the team to bring to this nation pride again and have an African inter-Test competition and I can only say that this visit was worthwhile,” said Hoskins.

Zimbabwe Rugby Union president John Falkenberg yesterday said the first step would be to play in the South African competitions hopefully starting next year.

“We have made our proposal to the IRB and Confederation of African Rugby  so they will take up the case and get back to us but hope that by next year we will be back in the South African domestic competition.

“We are trying to work on a structure that would for a start be made up of six teams including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Madagascar, a South African Franchise and the plan is that we get to play at least three home games.

“As Hoskins was said, that we need to give Zimbabweans a chance of watching their national teams play at home and all we just have to work on is getting tickets for flifgts because everything else would be taken care of as we also have the television rights.

“I hope that by next year we will be back to playing against the SA teams, if not next year then the following (2016),” said the former Sables assistant coach.