RUGBY

 According an online article, Rugby union is a prominent team sport in Namibia as well as its predecessor province of South West Africa. Because Namibia was historically dominated by South Africa, events in that nation and internal rivalry affected Namibian rugby.The Namibia Rugby Union is the country's governing organization for rugby union. The organization was established in March 1990.

 

Photo taken from the Namibian Rugby website

 

 

The Namibian national team is commonly known as the Welwitschia, Players from Namibia were able to represent South Africa until independence; Namibian-born Springboks included Jan Ellis and Percy Montgomery (albeit in the latter case, his birthplace Walvis Bay was a South African enclave until 1994). other players pursue rugby careers in South Africa and other European nations. Frik du Preez, a South African footballer, also spent time in the erstwhile South West Africa.

Picture from Namibian Rugby Union

 This picture shows Percy Montgomery,born in Namibia, playing for the Springboks (South African team).

 

 

Namibia has qualified for the World Cup five times, in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015, but has never won a match.The Welwitchias qualified for their sixth Rugby World Cup in August 2018, defeating Kenya 53-28 in Windhoek. They finished fourth in Pool B of the 2019 World Cup in Japan after drawing a match against Canada.

 

 

 

Picture taken from thenamibian website

 

 

 

I was able to interview a member of the national squad and asked him what rugby means to him, and this is what he replied"for me Rugby is more than just a game,it keeps me in good health,develop key mental skills of self control and discipline, The resilience and ability to persevere through pain and adversity for the greater good is a key skill developed on the rugby field, and a characteristic that serves rugby players throughout the rest of their personal and professional live."