Former rugby star beautifies capital

Never in his wildest dreams did former Outjo High School rugby star Uakazuwaka ‘Wacca’ Kazombiaze imagine he would one day represent his country at the Rugby World Cup.

Born at Okakarara, but brought up at Omapumba village, both in the Otjozondjupa region, the towering lock says it was because of his huge physique and fitness that he was lured into playing rugby.

“I was just a schoolboy who grew up in the rural area, and I just loved expressing myself on the athletics track. I was a very strong runner and was even a member of the Namibian Schools Sports Union under-19 4×4 relay team at an athletics event in Lesotho in 1998.

“The rugby coaches at school recruited me, and soon I found myself competing against the top rugby-playing schools in the country. I played rugby for Unam when I came to study in the city, and we gained promotion to the premier league in 1999,” Kazombiaze says.

He found himself playing paid rugby for Rehoboth Rugby Club before signing another professional contract for a season with the Roses of Wellington in the Western Cape in 2003.

He returned to Windhoek and joined crack Khomasdal outfit Western Suburbs and the union lasted until 2007, and it was during his days with the famous green-and-white stripes that he established himself as a national team player.

“Playing the world cup qualifiers against the other nations on the continent was more demanding and tougher than the actual Rugby World Cup tournament itself.

“The conditions are hostile and the countries are desperate.

“The fans and almost every other person seems to have been drilled not to show the visiting team any sign of warmth. A rotten egg was even thrown at one of our teammates,” Kazombiaze says.

He points out Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia as difficult places to visit, adding that these places required more than agility, fitness, knowledge and skills, but also mental strength.

Kazombiaze made his world cup debut in France in 2007, which “was one of the best experiences of my life”.

“The feeling was absolutely overwhelming and engaging those great nations was a tremendous learning curve,” he says.

The opening pool D match against Ireland at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux did not go too badly as the Welwitschias went down 32-17, and it is even described as Namibia’s best result in a world cup match, surpassing a 30-point defeat to Romania in 2003.

The floodgates opened against France in their second pool match at Stade de Toulouse as the host nation ran Kazombiaze and his teammates ragged with a 87-10 crushing.

Next were Argentina which romped home 63-3 at Stade Velodrome in Marseille as they limited Namibia to penalty points that were followed by 30-0 defeat to Georgia during a match in which Namibia failed to register a single point at Stade Felix Bollaert in Lens.

The former Outjo High School matriculant only made a cameo appearance at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand as he replaced Heinz Koll in the 65th minute of the 81-7 annihilation by Wales at Stadium Taranaki in Plymouth.

“It may look nice when you watch on television, but world cup rugby can really take its toll on a player. We are going through absolute hell, but that’s what makes the sport so enjoyable.

“It takes you up to three days to recover from the bruises and knocks sustained from the tackling.

“I don’t enjoy watching rugby any more because the rules have been twisted in such a way that rugby looks so ‘soft’ now.

“I understand the powers that be are trying to minimise injuries in the sport, but what is rugby with limited physical contact?” he asks.

Kazombiaze enjoyed a two-season spell with Birmingham & Solihull in the England National Division Two, after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, while he also had a six-month stint with Spanish outfit CR la Villa after the England contract.

The runner-up of the 2007 Namibian Sportsman of the Year awards behind former world boxing champion Paulus ‘Hitman’ Moses names Namibia’s world cup opener against Ireland during which he gave his all as his most memorable in a national team jersey.

WORK, FAMILY

The retired star married wife Okeri in November last year, and currently holds the position of parks, sport and recreation and cemeteries manager at the City of Windhoek.

“Although enjoyable, the job also comes with a lot of challenges. You plant a tree today, but sometimes it is stolen or simply damaged tomorrow. Sometimes our efforts are destroyed by a motorist, for example, who just crashes through the trees,” he says.

Kazombiaze, who is also a part-time cattle and goat farmer, believes he can do much more if he had sufficient agricultural land.

He says he cannot optimally use the land he is renting currently because he is limited to a certain number of animals.

“Make no mistake, I am absolutely happy with the way my life has panned out. However, I think I could surpass what I have achieved so far if I was resettled on a plot or farm owned by myself,” he says.

Kazombiaze’s advice to young players is to be fully committed and disciplined if they want to compete at the highest level.

“You have to be dedicated to the game. Have self-respect and respect your teammates and opponents as well,” he says.

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