WINDHOEK – A local rugby official who humbly requested his identity to be withheld for fear of reprisals has leapt, albeit with mixed emotions, to the defence of local rugby selectors in the aftermath of an article carried by New Era Sport on Wednesday.
The article, attributed to damning claims articulated by former Welwitschias lock forward Wacca Kazombiaze, accused the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) of deliberate nepotism and preferential treatment meted out towards white players.
“I’m totally in agreement with the frustrations of people like Wacca and them because they have been there and seen it all. However, we need to set the record straight in the case of Munee Tjiueza – his absence from the team that travelled to Europe has nothing to do with shoddy team selection as the player made out, as the player is injured.”
The source further insists that since the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) operates under a strict confidentiality clause that players’ medical records are not for public consumption, the NRU is not at liberty to reveal the extent of a player’s injury.
“The boy has been suffering from a niggling back injury that requires an operation but the envisaged operation was delayed in the hope that he would recover. It has since been established the giant loose forward will be obliged to undergo the operation and will do so by early next week,” said the source.
On the allegation of preferential treatment, the source admits players of colour experience serious communication breakdowns with white coaches, mainly as a result of cultural differences. “We must be sensitive and find a well-crafted balance in that respect since players of colour will always react differently to the coaches’ alien philosophies.”
By Carlos Kambaekwa