Chipu edge Zimbabwe but fall short as Namibia clinch Barthes Cup title
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 27.04.25. | 19:00
Kenya's 32-22 loss to Namibia ultimately proved costly, with the latter winning all their matches
Kenya’s U20 rugby team, Chipu, closed their Barthes Cup campaign on a high note after a hard-fought 21-20 victory over hosts Zimbabwe on Sunday, 27 April at the Old Hararians Sports Club.
Chipu showed grit and resilience in the tense encounter to edge past Zimbabwe, but the narrow win was not enough to see them retain their continental crown.
Rugby AfriqueTheir earlier 32-22 loss to Namibia ultimately proved costly, as the Namibians having gone unbeaten were crowned the 2025 Barthes Cup champions.
The Namibians capped a dominant campaign with a crushing 81-7 win over Tunisia, completing a clean sweep after earlier victories over Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Chipu started the match with a statement of intent, crashing over for an early try in the second minute after a sustained forward drive that sucked in Zimbabwe’s defense.
However, the conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Kenya continued to dominate possession and were rewarded in the eighth minute when they drilled in a penalty to extend their lead.
But despite their strong start, Kenya’s struggles at the lineout and a yellow card in the 31st minute for a discipline lapse gave Zimbabwe an opening.
The hosts quickly capitalized, crossing over for a converted try to narrow the gap to just one point.
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The Kenyans kept their composure and slotted in another penalty to create a slight buffer, but Zimbabwe struck back with two quick tries towards the end of the first half, swinging the momentum firmly in their favor.
Zimbabwe added a penalty in the 57th minute to stretch their advantage to 20-11, but Chipu refused to back down.
A tap-and-go play culminated in a converted try in the 65th minute, bringing Kenya back into the contest at 20-18.
With the clock ticking down, Chipu earned a crucial penalty and calmly slotted it through the posts to reclaim the lead.
In the dying moments, Kenya kicked the ball into touch to seal the narrow but vital win.
The victory completed a double over Zimbabwe, following their 28-13 triumph in the 2024 edition of the tournament.
