Rugby Africa Cup 2025: a title and a ticket to the 2027 World Cup up for grabs
From Tuesday until 19 July 2025, the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala will host the Rugby Africa Cup 2025
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For 11 days, Uganda will be the centre of African rugby. From Tuesday until 19 July 2025, the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala will host the Rugby Africa Cup 2025. This 20th edition of the continental competition brings together eight of Africa's best rugby nations: Zimbabwe, Namibia, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda and Ivory Coast.
Put simply, this edition of the Rugby Africa Cup is far more than a battle for the continental title. It is the only route to qualification for the 2027 World Cup for African teams, excluding South Africa, the reigning world champions, who have already qualified automatically. The winner of the tournament will earn a direct ticket to Australia, while the runner-up will get a second chance through a play-off against Asia's runner-up, scheduled to be held in Kampala the week after the final.
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The winner of that play-off will advance to the final qualification tournament in Dubai (8-18 November 2025). For the Kampala tournament, the eight teams, seeded according to their performances in the 2024 edition, will compete in a three-stage tournament: quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, with classification matches.
- Zimbabwe: Reigning champions after their 29-3 victory over Algeria in 2024, the Sables, led by captain Hilton Mudariki, are aiming for historic back-to-back titles and a first World Cup qualification since 1991.
- Namibia: The Welwitschias, present at every World Cup since 1999, are the traditional favourites. Despite their semi-final defeat to Zimbabwe last year, they remain a benchmark side under Jacques Burger.
- Algeria: Runners-up in 2024, the Desert Warriors surprised many with their rapid rise. Led by Marvyn Youcef, they want to turn their lost final into triumph.
- Kenya: The Simbas, known for their attacking rugby, dream of a first World Cup qualification. Their rivalry with Uganda promises an electric clash.
- Uganda: Hosts and champions in 2007, the Rugby Cranes are counting on the backing of their home crowd to pull off a shock.
- Ivory Coast: The Elephants, who avoided relegation in 2024, hope to recapture the glory of their 1995 World Cup qualification.
- Senegal: Outsiders, the Lions, coached by Demba Kane, want to challenge the heavyweights, starting with Namibia.
- Morocco: Promoted after seven years away, the Atlas Lions, under Adil Achahbar, are aiming to shake up the pecking order.
The tournament starts on Tuesday 8 July with four quarter-finals, played according to the seedings from the previous edition.
Rugby Africa Cup quarter-final fixtures
- Zimbabwe v Morocco (Q1)
- Algeria v Ivory Coast (Q2)
- Namibia v Senegal (Q3)
- Kenya v Uganda (Q4)
The quarter-final winners will advance to the semi-finals (QF1 vs QF4, QF2 vs QF3), scheduled for 15 July, while the losers will play classification matches. The Rugby Africa Cup final and the third-place match will take place on 19 July, ending two weeks of fierce competition.