adminONE of Africa’s two representatives at the 2015 International Rugby Board Rugby World Cup, Namibia have lined up a number of warm up matches for the global showpiece, which includes fixtures against the Zimbabwe Sables.
In a Press release issued by the Namibian Rugby Union last Wednesday, 13 international matches have been lined up for the Danie Vermeulen-coached Namibian national rugby team as they look to fine tune for the Rugby World Cup in England. Namibia have a busy schedule in November with a planned match against either Zimbabwe or Germany in Windhoek on 1 November. From there, the Welwitchias have away assignments against Canada, French Barbarians and Portugal.
The Zimbabwe Rugby Union yesterday said they would be able to send the Sables to Namibia for the match on 1 November and were waiting for their Namibian counterparts to supply them with further details on the fixture.
Next year, Namibia, just like Kenya did this year, are planning to participate in South Africa’s domestic competition, the Vodacom Cup. Zimbabwe and Namibia will most likely play each other at the 2016 Confederation of African Rugby Africa Cup Division 1A whose host nation is still to be announced. Tunisia, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe are the countries that are set to compete in the Africa Cup top group next year.
Namibia have also rescheduled the Tri-Nations against Zimbabwe and Kenya, which usually takes place at the end of the year to July next year as they look to get some competition ahead of the Rugby World Cup which runs from 18 September to 31 October, next year.
In England, Namibia are in Pool C where they will square off against world champions New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Georgia.
Namibia automatically qualified for the 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup as the 2014 Africa Cup champions at a tournament played in Antananarivo, Madagascar last June and July. The Namibians recovered from a shock 29-22 loss to Kenya in their opening match of the qualifiers to win 24-20 over Zimbabwe and then after Zimbabwe had beaten Kenya 28-10, the Namibians thrashed Madagascar 89-10 to steal the automatic spot from Zimbabwe on points difference.
Zimbabwe, as the runners-up proceeded to a play-off qualifier against Russia in Siberia where the Brendan Dawson coached Sables went down 23-15 which put an end to their hopes of qualifying for their first appearance at a Rugby World Cup since they last did so in 1991.
Online Reporter