Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The national rugby team, the Welwitschias, have called on supporters to rally behind them as they prepare to face Zimbabwe in the Rugby Africa Cup final.
The final is set for Saturday at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, where the tournament has been taking place for the past two weeks, featuring several African rugby nations.
Speaking on Wednesday, vice-captain Danco Burger thanked sponsors and fans for their support so far and urged them to continue backing the team in the final.
“I would love to thank our loyal supporters and sponsors for your immense support these couple of days. I would like to ask again for your support; please rally behind the boys. We are going to need your support against Zimbabwe. I know this final is going to be a massive one; thank you very much,” said Burger.
Reflecting on the team’s recent win over Algeria, Burger said it was a tough match that required strength and teamwork. He highlighted that the team’s ability to play cohesively played a crucial role in their victory.
“We spoke about the Algerian team’s physicality and the intensity they bring in the back line, and they tested us a couple of times. But the positive thing for us in this was our execution. Our execution level was quite good and high,” he said.
Burger added that the team still needs to improve certain tactics to better manage pressure from their opponents.
“Obviously there are still a few things that we need to work on to improve our game before we take on Zimbabwe in the final this coming weekend,” he stated.
The winner of Saturday’s final will earn automatic qualification to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Namibia has qualified for every World Cup since making its debut in 1999.
