Russia acid test

The Namibian team will kick off their end-of-year tour against Russia tomorrow in Krasnodar, and also have a world record in their sights.
Limba Mupetami
Namibia's senior national rugby team will face Russia tomorrow in their first international friendly of a European tour.

If the Namibian team beat their opponents and score enough tries, they will set a new world record as the first team to have scored four or more tries for a record 13 consecutive games, but they face tough competition from the All Blacks who are also hunting the same record.

However, the odds are in Namibia's favour, as their match takes place on Saturday, whereas the All Blacks will only take to the field on Sunday against England.

The squad consists of 28 players and eight management staff, who all arrived safely in Krasnodar, Russia this past Sunday.

Namibia Rugby Limited (NRL) said the team was well-received by their hosts, but no time was wasted, and shortly after their arrival they did some stretching following many hours of travelling.

“Their programme for the week mainly consisted of gym sessions in the morning, physiotherapy and on-field rugby training in the afternoons.

“Weather adaptation plays a role, with the weather being a maximum of 12 to 13 degrees Celsius on most days, and lows of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius. The team, however, is well-prepared with a generous sponsorship of team wear from Mizuno, ranging from casual training gear, match-day gear, jackets, tracksuits and travelling gear,” the NRL said in a statement.

The match against Russia will take place at 14:00 in Krasnodar, with a match against Spain following on 17 November.

The final match of the tour against Portugal will take place on 24 November.



The Namibian squad is as follows: Andre Rademeyer, Casper Viviers, Desiderius Sethie, Jason Benade, A J de Klerk, Obert Nortjé, Niël van Vuuren, Tjiuee Uanivi, Ruan Ludick, Adriaan Ludick, Thomasau Forbes, Max Katjijeko, Renaldo Bothma, Prince Goaseb, Rohan Kitshoff (vice-captain), Damian Stevens, Wihan von Wielligh, Cliven Loubser, PW Steenkamp, Henrique Olivier, Darryl de la Harpe (captain), JC Greyling, Janry du Toit, Johann Tromp, Chrysander Botha, Chad Plato, TC Kisting and Justin Newman.



The management team is as follows: Phil Davies (head coach), Irvin Newman (team manager), JP Nel (assistant coach), Dominic le Roux (player monitoring), Sam Pickford (analyst), Vernon Morkel (team doctor), Innis Erasmus (head of physiotherapy) and Sergio de la Harpe (strength and conditioning).

LIMBA MUPETAMI

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-05

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