Junior rugby team for Chile

The Namibian Rugby Union has announced the final list of 26 players who will represent Namibia at the Junior Rugby World Cup in Chile from April 10 to 28.

The team will be captained by the fiery flanker from Swakompund, Thomasau Forbes, while the experienced winger Chrysander Botha is the vice captain. Botha and centre Robbie Bergh are the only remaining players in the team who represented Namibia at their last Junior World Cup appearance in Dubai in 2006.Namibia failed to qualify for the 2007 World Cup finals but won the African qualifying tournament in Uganda last year to qualify for this year fs tournament.Namibia reached the final in Uganda after drawing 8-8 against Morocco and beating Tunisia 24-10 in their group matches.In a dramatic final, Namibia staged a remarkable comeback to beat Zimbabwe 23-20.At halftime Namibia were trailing 20-8, but tries by Llewellyn Koopman, Lezhanne Alcock and a penalty try drew Namibia level, before Herman Rust scored the winning drop goal in injury time.Rust tragically died in a vehicle accident outside Steinkopf in South Africa, on the way to Namibia at the end of 2007, but several of the players who were in Uganda are once again in the squad.Besides Forbes, Botha and Bergh, other members who remain from Namibia fs 2007 team are winger Cedric Haraseb, flankers Harold Kasera and Janee Karuaihe, props Lloyd Busch, Chad Hein and Kerneels Myburgh, hooker Johan Loubser, lock Alwyn Stroh, scrumhalf Ashley Tjombe and centre Wynand Smit.Flanker Harold Kasera was a star player in Uganda, where he won the Player of the Tournament award.Surprisingly prop Chad Hein and lock Alwyn Stroh, who were in Uganda last year, have been dropped.Other players who were dropped from the initial training group of 36 players are fullback Liam Nel, wing Brian Haihambo, centres JP Myburgh and Francois Wiese, flyhalf Charlton Brussel, scrumhalf Herman Stroh, eighthman Maurice Richter, prop Casper Viviers and hooker Oliver Strauss.The final squad to represent Namibia at the U19 Junior World Cup in Chile is as follows: Fullback: Robert Herridge Wing: Chrysander Botha (vice captain), Cedric Haraseb, Ronnie Robberts.Centre: Robbie Bergh, JP Myburgh, Wynand Smit.Flyhalf: Shaun Kazemi, Jacques Nell.Scrumhalf: Colin de Koe, Ronald Slamet, Rick Ashley Tjombe.Eighthman: Milando Titus.Flank: Thomasau Forbes (captain), Murray Hugo, Janee Karuaihe, Harold Kasera.Lock: Morne Blom, Renaud van Neel, Ruaan van Taak.Prop: Erik Burger, Lloyd Busch, Johan Coetzee, Kerneels Myburgh.Hooker: Johan Loubser, Theo Coetzee.Eden Meyer is the coach, Henk Botha is the assistant coach and Gabriel Tjombe the team manager.Charles Karamata is the team doctor and Randall Louw is the physiotherapist.www.namibiasport.com.naBotha and centre Robbie Bergh are the only remaining players in the team who represented Namibia at their last Junior World Cup appearance in Dubai in 2006.Namibia failed to qualify for the 2007 World Cup finals but won the African qualifying tournament in Uganda last year to qualify for this year fs tournament.Namibia reached the final in Uganda after drawing 8-8 against Morocco and beating Tunisia 24-10 in their group matches.In a dramatic final, Namibia staged a remarkable comeback to beat Zimbabwe 23-20.At halftime Namibia were trailing 20-8, but tries by Llewellyn Koopman, Lezhanne Alcock and a penalty try drew Namibia level, before Herman Rust scored the winning drop goal in injury time.Rust tragically died in a vehicle accident outside Steinkopf in South Africa, on the way to Namibia at the end of 2007, but several of the players who were in Uganda are once again in the squad.Besides Forbes, Botha and Bergh, other members who remain from Namibia fs 2007 team are winger Cedric Haraseb, flankers Harold Kasera and Janee Karuaihe, props Lloyd Busch, Chad Hein and Kerneels Myburgh, hooker Johan Loubser, lock Alwyn Stroh, scrumhalf Ashley Tjombe and centre Wynand Smit.Flanker Harold Kasera was a star player in Uganda, where he won the Player of the Tournament award.Surprisingly prop Chad Hein and lock Alwyn Stroh, who were in Uganda last year, have been dropped.Other players who were dropped from the initial training group of 36 players are fullback Liam Nel, wing Brian Haihambo, centres JP Myburgh and Francois Wiese, flyhalf Charlton Brussel, scrumhalf Herman Stroh, eighthman Maurice Richter, prop Casper Viviers and hooker Oliver Strauss.The final squad to represent Namibia at the U19 Junior World Cup in Chile is as follows: Fullback: Robert Herridge Wing: Chrysander Botha (vice captain), Cedric Haraseb, Ronnie Robberts.Centre: Robbie Bergh, JP Myburgh, Wynand Smit.Flyhalf: Shaun Kazemi, Jacques Nell.Scrumhalf: Colin de Koe, Ronald Slamet, Rick Ashley Tjombe.Eighthman: Milando Titus.Flank: Thomasau Forbes (captain), Murray Hugo, Janee Karuaihe, Harold Kasera.Lock: Morne Blom, Renaud van Neel, Ruaan van Taak.Prop: Erik Burger, Lloyd Busch, Johan Coetzee, Kerneels Myburgh.Hooker: Johan Loubser, Theo Coetzee.Eden Meyer is the coach, Henk Botha is the assistant coach and Gabriel Tjombe the team manager.Charles Karamata is the team doctor and Randall Louw is the physiotherapist.www.namibiasport.com.na