Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) on Tuesday announced a N$2-million sponsorship to the Namibian Rugby Union (NRU) despite current difficulties facing the sport.
Last year, the senior national side failed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup for the first time in 26 years, while the national under-20 side also failed to qualify for the 2027 World Rugby u20 Challenge after losing 33-17 to Kenya on Tuesday.
NBL managing director Waldemar von Lieres says they have supported the sport for many years and would continue to do so despite its current difficulties.
“Our support hasn’t changed, not because it has always been easy, but because we believe in what this game gives the county. We’ve supported the sport through very different chapters: moments of national pride, international competition, domestic development, and now a period of rebuilding. Through it all our aim has stayed the same – to back a sport that brings Namibians together and gives young people something to work towards,” he says.
“We recognise the current reality. Namibia did not qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the country’s first absence from the tournament since 1999. That is a difficult result to accept and we won’t pretend otherwise. It’s hard for the players who worked towards it, the coaches who built towards it, and the supporters who have followed this team through every cycle. We could have used this year to quietly step back, given the circumstances. That would have been the easier path but we chose not to take it.
“NBL believes in long-term commitment and our commitment doesn’t waver because of one result. Our continued backing helps the NRU maintain momentum, deliver the events on the 2026 calendar and keeps the sport visible while the next group of players comes through,” he says.
Von Lieres says their sponsorship was also in recognition of their loyal customers and consumers.
“NBL’s success has never been ours alone. It is built every day by Namibians, the loyal consumers who choose our brands, who fill the stands on match days, and who make this company what it is. When they show up for us, it is our duty to show up for them, and for the things they care about.”
HE says supporting Namibian rugby is not charity.
“It is giving back to the very people who make NBL possible. Rugby has given this country reason to be proud before. We believe it will again and we’d rather help build towards that than watch it from a distance.”
NBL CONFIDENT IN NRU
Von Lieres says they have confidence in the NRU’s leadership and direction.
“The 2026 calendar looks different to a Rugby World Cup year, and that’s simply the nature of the cycle. What matters more to us is the direction the NRU is taking: the structures being strengthened and the transparency we’ve seen in how this union is run. That gives us real confidence in this partnership and in what this year’s events mean for players, supporters and the wider rugby community,” he adds.
“Practically, this means NBL will continue as a proud sponsor of the NRU through 2026, valued at N$2 million, supporting major events on the calendar such as the Africa Sevens Tournament happening later this year, along with responsible consumer engagement, match-day activations, venue branding and media support, maintaining the connection between Namibian rugby, its supporters and the Windhoek brand at event level,” he says.
“As we look ahead, this isn’t about hoping for a better outcome. We’re calling on the NRU to use this period to strengthen structures, develop talent and build a squad capable of standing on rugby’s biggest stage again. Our challenge to Namibian rugby is simple: build towards 2031. Get the foundations right, keep earning the trust of your supporters, and we hope to be walking that road alongside you,” he adds.
NRU chief executive John Heynes thanks NBL for its continued support, saying the Welwitschias are preparing for an important international programme.
“Over the next two weeks we will confirm and share the upcoming October and November fixtures, which will provide further opportunities to bring international rugby to Namibia. Our Sevens programme is also returning to international competition, strengthening the pathway for Namibian players across both 15s and sevens rugby. This is a period of rebuilding, but more importantly, it is a period of opportunity and growth,” he says.
Meanwhile, at about the same time, Namibia’s national u20 side lost 33-17 to Kenya in the final of the u20 Barthes Trophy in Kampala, with the result that Kenya will now represent Africa at the World Rugby u20 Challenge next year. Namibia will however still compete at this year’s tournament in Chile after winning last year’s Africa Cup.
Displaying an impressive brand of running rugby, Kenya took a 14-0 lead at half-time and although Namibia reduced the deficit to 14-7 early in the second half, Kenya stepped up the tempo, scoring a total of five tries to run out comfortable winners.
It was the second time in three years that Kenya had won the title, while Namibia has now only won it once over the past six years.
