Rugby

The Namibia Rugby Referee Society (NRRS) has received support of N$50 000 from FNB Namibia for the upcoming rugby season from May to August 2013.

FNB Namibia at the same time pledged support of this amount for a three-year period from 2013 to 2016.

The NRRS also received a once-off donation of N$ 90 000 towards their playing gear.

Ingrid Goeieman, Manager Sponsorships and Donations at FNB Namibia said:

The Namibia Rugby Union’s preparations are on track and the cancellation of the friendly match against the Lions which was supposed to have taken place in Windhoek on Saturday, was a ‘blessing in disguise.’

This was the view of Namibia Rugby Union CEO Sybrand de Beer who said it did not make sense to play the match at this stage, at a press conference on Wednesday.

“We already informed the Lions about the postponement in January but they just announced it last week.”

A total of 24 referees and three performance reviewers attended the Namibia Rugby Referee Society’s (NRRS) annual opening course which took place at Okapuka Lodge over the weekend.

At the course, new law amendments that were introduced by the International Rugby Board last year, were presented by Neville Heilbron of the South African Rugby Union’s Referees Association.

Tumultuous times for Namibian rugby

Namibian rugby went through some tumultuous times over the past year, ranging from the high of participating at the Rugby World Cup to a low of losing to Madagascar.

In between the Namibia Rugby Union’s previous executive committee resigned following the World Cup, but the appointment of a new excom has instilled a newfound confidence as the NRU’s puts in place its plans of qualifying for a fifth successive World Cup in 2015.

The Namibian rugby selectors have named a 40-man Under 20 training squad in preparation for the Junior World Rugby Trophy competition which takes place in Chile in 2013.

The provisional date for the tournament is set for the end of May and the beginning of June.

Trials will be played towards the end of January to select a final group of 30 players. However, the Namibia Rugby Union added that players may be added to the group of 40 for the trials.

The group of 40 players must report for training at the Hage Geingob Stadium on Monday, 3 December at 17h00.

The recently concluded Windhoek Lager Tri-Nations Rugby Series was largely successful in helping Namibia prepare for the new season, but their participation in the 2013 Vodacom Cup is still in the balance.

According to the Namibia Rugby Union’s CEO Sybrand de Beer, the Tri Nations tournament succeeded in raising the profile of Namibian rugby, while Namibia’s results were also encouraging.

Namibia have dropped three places on the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) rankings to 24th in the world following their 38-37 defeat to Spain in the Windhoek Lager Tri-Nations Tournament in Windhoek on November 17.

Namibia seemed set to win the match, but an injury time penalty by flyhalf Jaime Nava saw Spain snatching a dramatic victory.

Spain also beat Zimbabwe 47-14 in the same tournament, while Namibia beat Zimbabwe 37-33.

Spain’s victory has seen them climbing one position to 20th in the world, while Zimbabwe move one place down to 30th in the world.

Namibian rugby coach Danie Vermeulen and captain PJ van Lill both expressed disappointment at losing their Windhoek Lager Tri-Nations rugby match against Spain on Saturday.

Namibia seemed set for a comfortable win when they were leading 26-17 at half time, but Spain struck back to take the lead for the first time in the second half.

In the final stages, a penalty by Namibian flyhalf Theuns Kotze gave Namibia a 37-35 lead, but Spain’s flyhalf scored the winning penalty in injury time to give them a dramatic 38-37 victory.

Spain beat Namibia 38-37 in a thrilling rugby tst match in Windhoek on Saturday.

Spain turned around a halftime deficit of 26-17 and although the lead changed several times, Spain’s flyhalf Jaime Nava put over the winning penalty in the final minute to snatch a dramatic victory.

Here follows the Live Commentary of the match:

17:41
The hooter goes but Spain win penalty on halfway line and Nava puts it over Spain win 38-37. What a match!

17:38
Nam win penalty after repeated attacks and Kotze puts it over 37-35 to Nam

The Spanish selectors have made wholesale changes to their team that will take on Namibia in the final match of the Windhoek Lager Tri-Nations Rugby Championships in Windhoek on Saturday afternoon.

Only four players who started the match against Zimbabwe on Wednesday remain in the starting line-up for Saturday’s match, namely lock David Barrera, eighthman Lionel Pardo, left wing Javier Carrion and right wing Matias Tudela.

New scrumhalf Pablo Feijoo takes over the captaincy from flanker Jon Magunazelaia who drops to the bench.