THE Welwitschias will play a match against a South African Universities side as preparation for the World Cup on August 6 at the Hage Geingob Stadium.
Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) CEO Christo Alexander said the match was aimed at giving the Namibian team some game time in the run-up to the World Cup which will be held in New Zealand from September 9 to October 23.’We are using the match as preparation for the World Cup and it is much-needed game time,’ Alexander said.’It will be a very strong and competitive squad that will travel to Namibia,’ Alexander said about the South African Universities side.’Many of them played in the Vodacom Cup and the Currie Cup, but I am not sure which players will come as we have not yet received their team list yet.’Some of the players who might feature in the Namibian side include Ruan Kitshoff, who is a flanker for Western Province and Leopards fullback Danie Damens. They are both currently playing in the Currie Cup.In the run up to the 2007 World Cup, the Welwitschias hosted a South African Universities side and lost 32-20.In that match, the South Africans fielded Flip van der Merwe and Jean Deysel who are both now in the current Springbok side. They both played in Saturday’s Tri Nations Cup match against Australia, which the Springboks lost 39-20. On the same afternoon, an under-20 Namibian Invitational side will play a curtain-raiser against Yorkshire, a touring English team.Yorkshire will be in the country from August 4 to 10.The U20 match against Yorkshire will kick off at 14h00 while the Welwitschias’ match will start at 16h00.’The team asked us to put together an U/20 team that they could play against so we requested the clubs to nominate players who could play,’ Alexander said.Meanwhile the two matches that the Namibians were supposed to play on August 13 and 20 against the Argentina Pumas Invitational side has been cancelled.’It was a financial decision on our part to cancel the matches because we would have had to cover all their costs. We do not have that kind of money especially since we are going to the World Cup,’ Alexander said.’We are still in negotiations with teams for those dates because we need the matches,’ he added.The Welwitschias coach, Johan Diergaardt, is expected to announce final World Cup squad in the next days. He had to trim down the current 38 players to the 30 who will travel to New Zealand while the remaining eight players will be the non-travelling reserves.The 38 players in the current squad are:Backs:Chrysander Botha, Danie Damens, Llewellyn Winkler, McGrath van Wyk, Conrad Marais, Heini Bock , Danie van Wyk, Darryl de la Harpe, David Philander, Piet van Zyl, Roger Thompson, Theuns Kotze, Jacky Bock, TC Losper, Eugene Jantjies, Ryan de la Harpe, Collin de KoeForwards:PJ van Lill, Jacques Nieuwenhuis, Jacques Burger, Ruan Kitshoff, Tinus du Plessis, Renaud van Neel, Nico Esterhuizen, Heinz Koll, Morne Blom, Wacca Kazombiaze, Henk Franken, Jane du Toit, Johnny Redelinghuys, Marius Visser, Hauta Veii, Casper Viviers, Raul Larsen, Shaun Esterhuizen, Bertus O Callaghan, Hugo Horn, Callie Swanepoel – namibiasport.com.na
