NRU to start transformation talks

The Namibia Rugby Union has been heavily criticised for the slow pace of transformation of the national rugby team and always having issues arising before the Rugby World Cup (RWC). The union is now ready to take the bull by its horns. Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) President Bradley Basson told Sport Wrap that transformation is a mammoth task and the call to transform has been made over the years. Basson said the union has now decided not to just pay lip service to the process but to take an earnest proactive step. “We are looking at the upcoming board meeting next month when we will also have a visit from World Rugby Union to start our talks on the issue,” he said, adding that they have already started having informal conversations with the South African Rugby Union. “We want to engage experts on the topic of transformation but to give that in a Namibian context, because we cannot just adopt policies of South Africa. We have to make sure that those policies are Namibian specific and appropriate for our needs,” he said. Basson said such talks will officially start next month, adding that informally, the ball had started rolling before negotiations start with experts on the topic. He noted that the Sports Commission have started talks on the issue of transformation but no official report was compiled on the talks held so far. Basson however said, the union are not criticising the commission for the work they have done saying, what has been done was a step in the right direction. “We as NRU say if the process is slow, let us start with the policy, pioneer it and then maybe present it to the Sports Commission and maybe that can be rolled out to other sport codes as well,” he said. Basson said they have established that the problems in NRU only surface during the world cup year and that it has become a trend. “I think the union must accept blame and what the union must do in future is to communicate more with stakeholders.” He noted that when people are not informed, they jump to conclusions and to avoid this happening, the union must have more information sharing sessions with the council. 2015 RWC This year’s world cup may have been Namibia’s best, and Basson shares this feeling with the public. “I believe that we will all agree that 2015 participation has been the most competitive and successful for NRU,” he said. He noted that the experience was positive and worked exceptionally well given the short comings that the union had experienced just before the tournament when the coach resigned. “We were forced to take quick and tough decisions, but we can say that it worked out very well. The team was well prepared and for once, our team could last in the game and they were mentally fit and just played for this nation,” Basson said with pride. He added that the union has realised that the better prepared the team in terms of strength and conditioning, the less the chances of injuries and the better the players feel - mentally. “So, I think we should not in our preparation for the 2019 World Cup leave our preparations too late, we should take every year as a world cup preparation year,” he stressed. However, Basson indicated that it will be a challenge because most of the professional guys are based outside the country. He added that in the meantime the organisation will focus on the local guys, to make sure that they engage them in such a way that their strength and condition is excellent. “We also want to make sure that they are fit so that when the foreign based guys return to the country to play for the Africa Cup competitions and other test matches, they have a balanced team.” Basson said the union has confidence in the team and with the expertise of the local players; the union can build and set up up a team that can make Namibia the champions. Way forward The rugby union president said going forward; the union must ensure that players, especially the local based players - get enough exposure. The union should also make sure that it creates a platform for the players to be recognised and noticed in order to get professional contracts. “Namibia will participate in the Currie Cup next year, and this is a platform to make sure that the local boys have enough game time and gain the necessary experience,” he said. Basson said he is satisfied with the call of the team but there is need to supplement the team because there are a number of young players that have played really well and have shown that they deserve to be in the team. “One thing one can say is that the coach was not afraid to experiment at the RWC as he gave young players exposure that many coaches would have been sceptical about,” he said. He said the union has to make sure that the legacy created at the RWC goes beyond 2015. “What we have done now is to have a high performance centre. This was something that we embarked on to make sure that the facilities are always available,” he said. He added that the union needs more competitions to improve the players performance. “We should not forget our local competitions; I must admit that this is an area that the union has fallen short in the past,” he said. Basson noted that these are issues that the union must strive to rectify and make sure that they get a sponsor to at least keep the local league in order. KAINO NGHITONGO