Director of rugby Jacques Burger on Tuesday announced a 30-man senior national rugby squad ahead of the final qualification tournament for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The event is scheduled to take place from 8 to 18 November in Dubai.
In preparation for the crucial qualifiers, the team will also play an international friendly match this Saturday in Malmesbury, South Africa, against the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, as part of their final tune-up before heading to the Middle East.
The team is set to face Belgium, Samoa and Brazil in the qualification tournament. The three strong sides are all vying for the last available World Cup spot. Speaking on the selection, Burger said the process was a challenging one, given the high level of competition among players. “There’s a lot of players who put their hand up, and there were many factors we considered. We looked at work ethic, conditioning, humility and coachability – qualities that are vital to compete at the pace and intensity these teams play at. We wanted players who are disciplined, team-oriented and ready to give their all for the jersey,” he stated.
However, Burger revealed that the squad was not without setbacks, as several key players were ruled out due to injuries and other circumstances.
“We have lost five very important players. Tiana Swannepool is out with a hip injury, Gerswin Mouton re-injured his knee after being sidelined since the previous tournament, Le Roux Malan suffered a cheekbone fracture, Oliver Kurz is nursing a shoulder injury and Richard Hardwick remains unavailable due to a suspension in the French league,” he said.
Namibia is set to play an international friendly against Boland Kavaliers, which is expected to provide the final test before the team departs for Dubai.
Forwards
Adriaan Booysen, Adriaan Ludick, Armand Combrinck, Gianluca Savoldelli, Haitembu Shikufa, Johan Retief, Johan Luttig, Johannes Coetzee, Joshua Bester, Louis van der Westhuizen, Muharua Wilhelm Katjijeko, Otja Auala, Prince !Gaoseb, Riaan Grove, Tiaan de Klerk, Torsten van Jaarsveld and Wian Conradie.
Backs
Andre van der Berg, Andrew Kearns, Aston Mukwiilongo, Cliven Loubser, Danco Burger, Danie van der Merwe, Divan Rossouw, Helarius Kisting, Jacques Theron, Jay Cee Nel, JC Greyling, Johan Deysel, Jurgen and Meyer.
Management:
Jacques Burger (Director of rugby), Tersia Venter (team manager), Pieter Rossouw (head coach), Wilfred Bezuidenhoudt (team doctor), Tanya Green (lead physiotherapist), Sergio de la Harpe (lead strength and conditioning), Jaco Engels (scrum coach), Darryl de la Harpe (skills consultant), Rohan Kitshoff (forward coach), David Philander (back-line coach), Zandrea Strauss (media and accommunications), Devon O’Brien (video analyst).