Peter de Villiers has been named as the new coach of the Zimbabwe national team.

The appointment of the former Bok coach was confirmed on Wednesday, with De Villiers set to lead Zimbabwe in their preparations for their World Cup qualifiers later this year.

He hinted at the appointment in January when he said: ‘I think it will be an honour if the ZRU [Zimbabwe Rugby Union] engage me… I will always be around to help the country develop the sport at any level.’

Zimbabwe struggled in the African Gold Cup last year, losing to Kenya, Namibia, Tunisia and Uganda. They will be playing the same opponents in their World Cup qualifiers this year.

De Villiers has been unable to find a high-profile coaching job since leaving his Bok post at the end of the 2011 World Cup.

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