Namibian rugby scrumhalf Damian Stevens has publicly raised concerns over the leadership and direction of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU), calling for greater transparency, accountability and strategic planning following the country’s failure to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. 

Stevens, who previously turned out for South African outfit Sharks XV in the Rugby Challenge, currently plays for NOLA Gold in Major League Rugby in the United States and also serves as head coach of the Harahan River Coyotes Rugby Football Club. 

He voiced his concerns in a detailed post on his social media platforms, which has since sparked debate within the local rugby community. 

At the centre of Stevens’ criticism is a lack of communication and transparency from the NRU leadership. He argues that missing out on World Cup qualification, something Namibia had achieved consistently since 1999 — should have been followed by a comprehensive public review. 

“When a union fails to qualify for a Rugby World Cup, the minimum expectation is a clear explanation of what went wrong, lessons learned and a roadmap for re-building. Silence from leadership signals either disorganisation or avoidance, neither of which inspires confidence,” he said. 

Stevens also questioned the absence of a visible strategic plan, noting that several African rugby nations, such as Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Côte d’Ivoire, are already outlining high-performance pathways, coaching structures, talent identification systems, and funding models for the 2031 Rugby World Cup cycle. 

“Namibia has historically been Africa’s second-strongest rugby nation. We should be leading these conversations, not lagging behind,” he said. 

Another major concern highlighted was the lack of a clearly communicated vision across short-, mid- and long-term cycles. Stevens said a national union should be able to outline immediate rebuilding plans, medium-term professional and academy pathways, and long-term goals around sustainable funding, grassroots growth and World Cup competitiveness. “If none of this is being communicated, it’s a red flag,” he warned. 

Financial transparency was also singled out as a critical issue. Stevens argued that without a clear breakdown of spending over the past four years, it would be impossible to plan effectively for the next decade. He said the rugby community deserves clarity on how funds were allocated, including spending on high-performance programmes, administration, sponsorship income, development budgets and player welfare. “Financial opacity kills trust,” he said. 

Stevens further stressed that failing to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup represents a structural failure, not a minor setback, and called for accountability rather than blame. 

“Accountability is leadership,” he wrote, adding that reasonable questions must be asked about performance targets, responsibility and corrective measures. 

He concluded by emphasising that Namibian rugby survives because of its players, coaches, volunteers, clubs, fans and sponsors, and that the broader community has both the right and obligation to demand answers from those in charge. 

“Namibian rugby deserves transparency, direction and accountability. We cannot build a competitive future on silence. We are not asking for miracles, we are asking for communication, planning, transparency and leadership. These are the basics of running any national sports body,” he said. 

The likes of Robbie Thompson, among others, responded on Stevens’ post. 

“I have to agree with the author. We must engage each other. Choosing sides, establishing camps, and perpetuating division will take us nowhere. Establish a platform like an indaba. Attendees can present papers, and the NRU can prepare responses to some of the above concerns. Simple as that,” said Thompson. Another Brendan Hector asked whether Namibia does not have a parliamentary portfolio for sports and who can investigate. 

“Like in South Africa the portfolio committee investigated SAFA and other federations. Surely Namibia Rugby must account to someone,” he said. 

The NRU on Wednesday shared that they will have a press conference next week Tuesday at 10h00 with the agenda points being NRU’s current status and rebuilding strategy for 2029 to 2031. -lmupetami@nepc.com.na