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MBABANE – Host nation Eswatini has announced the venue for the second edition of the Tri-Nation Rugby Test.
The tournament will take place later this month after Lesotho staged the inaugural event involving Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini (BOLESWA) last year.
According to the Eswatini Rugby Union (ERU), all three matches will be played at the Prince of Wales Sports Ground in the capital, Mbabane. The union said the games will celebrate the spirit of rugby across the Southern African region.
The opening fixture sees Sizeze, as the Eswatini national team are known, face Lesotho’s Likatola. The two sides were the only participants last year, when Lesotho claimed the title with a 37-12 victory.
The full fixture list is as follows:
October 24 – Eswatini vs Lesotho, 2pm
October 2 – Lesotho vs Botswana, 2pm
October 3 – Eswatini vs Botswana, 2pm
This year’s edition also welcomes Botswana, who skipped the previous tournament. The Tri-Nations Rugby series was first launched in Botswana in 2024.
Beyond the local rivalry, the competition carries growing importance for the national teams’ World Rugby rankings. Regular competitive matches against regional opponents provide valuable ranking points and help the sides improve their standing on both the continental and global lists.