By Sports Reporter

Zimbabwean rugby referees Precious Pazani and Talent Gandiwa have been named on the list of match officials for the 2022 Rugby Africa Men’s Cup 2022 tournament to be held in the south of France next month.

The duo were part of a list of 13 officials from 12 countries, six of whom are African, which was announced by the game’s governing body World Rugby on Wednesday.

The panel includes ten referees (and/or assistant referees, depending on assignment) and three TMOs (Television Match Officials).

Pazani is the only female referee on the list as she continues to rise in the sport.

In addition to duo of Pazani and Gandiwa, the other African referees are Sylvain Mane (Senegal), Aymen Jriji (Tunisia), Victor Ojuku (Kenya) and Nicardo Pienaar (Namibia.

The duo of Pazani and Gandiwa will serve as the assistant referees to Senegalese Sylvian Mane in the opening 2022 Rugby Africa Cup quarterfinal match pitting favourites Namibia and Burkina Faso with Frenchman Denis Grenouillet tasked with the Television Match Official (TMO) duties.

Praderie from France will handle the Sables’ quarterfinal match against Ivory Coast on July 2 with Tunisian Jriji and Kenyan Ojuku as his assistants.

The Sables’ squad is already in Europe for the Rugby Africa Cup and will play an international friendly against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Saturday.

This year’s Rugby Africa Cup will double as the final qualifying tournament for the 2023 Rugby World Cup Africa which will also be played in France.