The quarter-final match-ups for the 2023 U20 Barthes Trophy have been confirmed, with eight teams set to battle it out over three days for Africa’s top age-grade rugby title. Kenya and Uganda will meet once again at this stage, with the former looking to repeat last year’s victory against their East African rivals.
The game will kick off at 4.30 pm on Saturday 22 April, which is when all the quarter-final games will be played. The semi-finals are scheduled for Wednesday 26 April, with the final and third-place play-off taking place on Sunday 30 April.
Defending champions Zimbabwe will start their title defence against Cote d’Ivoire, who were promoted after winning a repechage match against Senegal earlier this year. The Ivorians will be looking to make a statement by upsetting the champions, while Zimbabwe will be hoping to continue their dominance in this tournament. Namibia, last year’s runners-up, will take on Zambia in what promises to be a fiercely contested encounter. Madagascar will play Tunisia in the last quarter-final match of the day.
Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe have all named their provisional squads for the tournament. Zimbabwe has eight returning players from their victorious campaign last year, while Kenya has four and Namibia has two. The squads are expected to be trimmed down to the final 28 players as the tournament draws closer.
Tickets for the tournament are now available, with VIP tickets priced at Ksh 1000 and regular tickets at Ksh 100 for the quarter-finals and final. VIP tickets for the semi-finals are Ksh 500, with regular tickets priced at Ksh 100. Fans are advised to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment, as demand is expected to be high for this prestigious tournament.
