NRU not at fault over unregistered players

THE chief executive officer of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU), Christo Alexander, yesterday said that there was no risk of Namibia being expelled from the International Rugby Board (IRB) simply because national team players are not registered with the union.

A report in The Namibian on Monday stated that the NRU faced possible expulsion from the IRB World Cup qualifying matches because some national team players were not registered with the union. Alexander said there was no rule stipulating that players should be registered with the union in order to play for their country.Alexander was reacting after the conclusion of the Windhoek Lager Club Championships, whose organisers disqualified Wanderers Rugby Club from the tournament because they could not produce proof of NRU registration.Wanderers wanted to use eight players in their quarter-final match against Western Suburbs Rugby Club who were neither registered with Wanderers, nor with the union.Alexander explained that the IRB allows players who are born in Namibia and who have parents or grandparents in Namibia to play for the national team, but said on club level it was a different issue.”Any player born in Namibia, irrespective of being attached to a club or not, can play for the national team.The registration of players to clubs that are affiliated to the NRU and the national team should not be confused,” he said.He said there are several Namibian players who are currently doing duty for South African provincial teams and who are not registered with the Namibian union.”But these players are eligible to play for the national team, as they are born Namibians,” he said.The chairman of the weekend’s club tournament, Keith Allies, yesterday also said that Wanderers’ expulsion from the tournament did not affect the national team in any way.He said Wanderers did not follow the rules and bylaws that were agreed upon before the tournament by failing to prove that its players were in fact all registered members of the club.The clubs are affiliated to the NRU.Allies said the tournament organisers would issue a media release today in which they will fully explain why Wanderers was disqualified from the tournament.The tournament, which is now in its second year, was eventually won by United when they beat Western Suburbs 6-3 in the final played at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium on Saturday.Namibia’s national team is currently involved in 2007 World Cup qualifying matches and has concluded its first two matches against Kenya and Tunisia.They beat Kenya 84-12 in May this year, while they lost to Tunisia 24-7 in their away match recently.They will again take on the two countries in September, before they can proceed to the later stages of the tournament.The Rugby World Cup will be held in France next year.Alexander said there was no rule stipulating that players should be registered with the union in order to play for their country.Alexander was reacting after the conclusion of the Windhoek Lager Club Championships, whose organisers disqualified Wanderers Rugby Club from the tournament because they could not produce proof of NRU registration.Wanderers wanted to use eight players in their quarter-final match against Western Suburbs Rugby Club who were neither registered with Wanderers, nor with the union.Alexander explained that the IRB allows players who are born in Namibia and who have parents or grandparents in Namibia to play for the national team, but said on club level it was a different issue.”Any player born in Namibia, irrespective of being attached to a club or not, can play for the national team.The registration of players to clubs that are affiliated to the NRU and the national team should not be confused,” he said.He said there are several Namibian players who are currently doing duty for South African provincial teams and who are not registered with the Namibian union.”But these players are eligible to play for the national team, as they are born Namibians,” he said.The chairman of the weekend’s club tournament, Keith Allies, yesterday also said that Wanderers’ expulsion from the tournament did not affect the national team in any way.He said Wanderers did not follow the rules and bylaws that were agreed upon before the tournament by failing to prove that its players were in fact all registered members of the club.The clubs are affiliated to the NRU.Allies said the tournament organisers would issue a media release today in which they will fully explain why Wanderers was disqualified from the tournament.The tournament, which is now in its second year, was eventually won by United when they beat Western Suburbs 6-3 in the final played at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium on Saturday.Namibia’s national team is currently involved in 2007 World Cup qualifying matches and has concluded its first two matches against Kenya and Tunisia.They beat Kenya 84-12 in May this year, while they lost to Tunisia 24-7 in their away match recently.They will again take on the two countries in September, before they can proceed to the later stages of the tournament.The Rugby World Cup will be held in France next year.