Women’s rugby to make history

History will be made tomorrow when the first semifinals of the Namibian women’s rugby league take place at the Hage Geingob Stadium.

After years of inactivity, women’s rugby was revived last year with some 7s and 10s tournaments taking place, while Wanderers won an ad hoc 15s final, but this year was the first time that a structured 15-woman league has been completed. 

Christelle Kotze former national women’s coach and now the representative of women’s rugby on the Namibia Rugby Union board said it was a great achievement. 

“If you look where we started with just 7s and 10s rugby last year, and then having to face South Africa and Zimbabwe in the 15-woman game while some of the players hadn’t even played 15s before, that was a massive adjustment,” she said. 

“But now we had a full league and it’s been very competitive, which is an amazing achievement. These women are making history this weekend,” she added. 

Seven teams from Windhoek, Rehoboth, Grootfontein and the coast competed and provided some very competitive encounters, with three teams emerging neck and neck at the top of the log after the league stages.

FNB Unam and FNB Wanderers both finished on 53 points after 12 matches, with Unam finishing on top of the log with a better points difference, while they also scored more tries. 

Trustco United came third on 49 points, while FNB Kudus clinched the final semifinal spot after finishing fourth on 24. 

Tomorrow’s semifinals get underway at 10h00 with Wanderers taking on United, while Unam face Kudus at 11h15.  

Wanderers won both their league encounters against United this year although they have been very close, with Wanderers winning 22-12 on 10 June and 8-7 on 5 August. Especially the last match was a humdinger, with

Wanderers taking the lead through a Sune Wittmann penalty, before United went ahead through a Michelle Slinger try.

Wanderers regained the lead after a great try by Lizzle Tauxas, but United could have won it when they won a penalty in the final minutes, but Slinger’s kick went wide. 

Wittmann will be a key player for Wanderers, with her rampaging runs and reliable goalkicking, and along with her Euodia Bassinghtwaighte, Ida Visagie and Yanneke Lawrence they form a powerful backline. 

They also have a formidable pack with players like Memory Tjivikua, Lourencia Rooinasie, Astrid van Lill and Mandie van Staden leading their charge. 

United, however, have a lot of experience, with captain Geraldine Louw, Chevonne de Klerk and Nicole Philander forming a dynamic loose trio, while they have a lot of pace amongst the backs with players like Roberta Fabio, Loide Sakaria and Richardine Gaya, as well as the experienced Slinger pulling the strings at flyhalf.  

Unam will start as the favourites against Kudus after comfortably winning both their matches in the league – 38-0 on 5 August and 69-0 on 10 June. 

Their match winners include wingback Fiola Vliete and scrumhalf Ivonne Kooper who have both scored numerous tries this season, while Mandi Hansen, Yasmin Abdul-Karim and Chanteline Engelbrecht have shone amongst the forwards. 

For Kudus, experienced frontrowers Faiza Tjivava and Romily Farmer and loose-forward Robyn Andrews will lead the charge up front, while flyhalf Nessy Jansen is their playmaker in the backline. 

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