WINDHOEK – Despite finishing 6th overall at the recently concluded International Rugby Union (IRB) Junior Rugby World Trophy competition in Hong Kong last Saturday, Namibia’s U/20 coach Jan Dames has expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance and says his young brigades benefited vastly in terms of international exposure.
Namibia opened their account at this year’s tournament with a vital victory against hot favorites Canada and continued with their spirited performance which saw them lose by narrow margins against formidable opponents like Japan, Georgia and Uruguay, as opposed to last year’s edition where Namibia finished in a disappointing 8th place and failed to record a single win during their brief campaign in Chile.
On that note, Dames believes this year’s performance proves that Namibia is only a few steps behind big time campaigners such as Tonga, Japan and Canada, amongst others, and says the bigger picture looks bright for Namibian rugby.
“We only had about 10 days to prepare for such a crucial competition and that somehow had a slight impact on our performance, but despite all that, the boys went out there and represented our country with pride and honour. A country like Japan had two weeks to prepare in countries like Australia ahead of the tournament, but still we went onto the field and gave them a good run for their money, and that shows the determination and courage our players have,” said Dames
Dames strongly believes if preparations for bigger competitions are started at an early stage and Namibia annually ensures its participation at such international competitions, the country will in no time realize its long-term dream of becoming a serious contender on the international rugby stage.
By Otniel Hembapu