Why national team rugby players slept on a street in Tunisia – PHOTOS
The Zimbabwe men’s senior rugby team, the Sables, spent the night on a street Monday in Tunisia ahead of a crucial Rugby World Cup qualifier match.
The team had complained about the poor conditions of the hotel they were given and opted to sleep on the street .
On Tuesday, Rugby Africa and the Tunisia Rugby Union (TRU) apologised to Zimbabwe.
“Rugby Africa and Tunisia Rugby Union would like to express their sincere apologies to the Sables team and management for this unfortunate situation,” said a statement.
Zimbabwe are in Tunisia for a Gold Cup fixture against the North African nation in the town of Monastir on Saturday, which serves as a qualifier for next year’s rugby World Cup in Japan.
The winner qualifies to the World Cup automatically.
Images on social media showed players sleeping on the street outside the hotel they had been allocated. They did not check in because they felt the hotel was substandard.
“We would like to reassure the Zimbabwean Ministry of Sports, Zimbabwe Rugby Union, and all partners and fans that the situation was addressed immediately and an acceptable solution has been found this morning,” Rugby Africa said in a statement.
The team later was taken to another hotel which they accepted.