Breaking our World Cup duck
Our hearts swelled with pride and joy when the national rugby side defeated Kenya 53-28 this past weekend to not only win the Africa Gold Cup, but confirm their participation at the 2019 Japan Rugby World Cup. The win against Kenya followed great displays throughout the tournament that saw the Namibian lads seeing off their opponents during home and away ties. Namibia will now compete at the Japan global showpiece, where they will once again face the likes of New Zealand, South Africa and Italy in what is considered as the group of death. The Repechage tournament winner will also join the four nations in Pool B.
Despite limited investments in the game by both the private sector and the Namibian government, rugby is undoubtedly the most successful national sport code in the country, considering that the Welwitschias have now qualified for this major tournament a record six times in a row. The Rugby World Cup is the equivalent to the holy grail of world football - the Fifa World Cup - and qualifying is fantastic achievement for any nation. There is no doubt the odds will be heavily stacked against Namibia, when they come against world beaters and reigning champions New Zealand, as well as our unpredictable neighbours, the Springboks. Italy is also another top side in the world rankings. Their ranking speaks of their massive potential. It goes without saying that Namibia has been wearing the underdog tag for successive tournaments and the expectation this time around is to make a massive impact as a rugby minnow. Simply making up the numbers is no longer good enough, but showing grit, determination and fire to at least break our duck and win a World Cup match, will go a long way in cementing the emergence of Namibian rugby. As experienced campaigners, the Welwitschias must show the world they have truly graduated to the big stage and are not just there to be the whipping boys.
Despite limited investments in the game by both the private sector and the Namibian government, rugby is undoubtedly the most successful national sport code in the country, considering that the Welwitschias have now qualified for this major tournament a record six times in a row. The Rugby World Cup is the equivalent to the holy grail of world football - the Fifa World Cup - and qualifying is fantastic achievement for any nation. There is no doubt the odds will be heavily stacked against Namibia, when they come against world beaters and reigning champions New Zealand, as well as our unpredictable neighbours, the Springboks. Italy is also another top side in the world rankings. Their ranking speaks of their massive potential. It goes without saying that Namibia has been wearing the underdog tag for successive tournaments and the expectation this time around is to make a massive impact as a rugby minnow. Simply making up the numbers is no longer good enough, but showing grit, determination and fire to at least break our duck and win a World Cup match, will go a long way in cementing the emergence of Namibian rugby. As experienced campaigners, the Welwitschias must show the world they have truly graduated to the big stage and are not just there to be the whipping boys.
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