Namibia XV to engage Pampas XV in February

THE senior national rugby side is preparing for their upcoming tie against Pampas XV in the Vodacom Cup at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek.

The match against the South African rugby club is scheduled for February 26.National rugby team coach Johan Diergaardt told Nampa yesterday that the team took a few days off during the festive season, but are now hard at work preparing for the showdown on February 26.The national rugby team, also known as the Welwitschias, are also set to play against South Africa’s Boland Cavaliers in Wellington, South Africa on March 8. There will be further mouth-watering rugby action for local rugby lovers when the Welwitschias host Border on March 12 at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, and the Free State on March 19.The itinerary for the national rugby outfit continues right into June 2011 when the team would have to defend its title during the International Rugby Board (IRB) Nations Cup slated for Bucharest, Romania.Apart from having booked a place in the final showpiece of the 2011 IRB World Cup billed for New Zealand from September to October this year, the national rugby side will have a number of international friendly matches to serve as preparation for the World Cup.However, Diergaardt could not disclose the names of some countries that are being targeted for international friendly encounters, saying that it would be premature to mention the names at this stage. – Nampa