Coastal team Kudus will clash with the reigning champions of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU), Wanderers, in the finals of the current league season after both teams successfully navigated their semi-final matches.
The semi-finals took place over the weekend at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium in the capital.
In the first men’s semi-final, Kudus, the coastal outfit, faced off against Grootfontein.
After a full 80 minutes of play, Kudus, who have not reached the finals in recent memory, demonstrated their superiority.
They secured their place in the final with a convincing 42- 37 victory.
Shaun White, the head coach of Kudus, expressed excitement.
His team clinched a well-deserved win to advance to the finals. He said while the game was challenging, he was confident heading into Saturday’s match that they deserved a spot in the final. The finals will be played this coming weekend at the same venue. “It was a fairly exciting match against a strong Grootfontein side. Coming into this match, we knew what we needed to reach the finals. The team went onto the field, gave their all, and sealed that spot,” he said.
Reflecting on the season, White attributed his team’s strong performance to their consistency.
“I think from the start of this season, we showed the hunger to rewrite our history. The team has remained consistent since the beginning. We are now seeing the results of that,” he added.
Looking ahead to the finals, he said “I am excited to reach the finals, but this also shows how much work still needs to be done. We have to go back and work hard because the finals are unlike any other match. We will require the team to be even more focused. Perhaps we can get our hands on the trophy”.
Darryl de la Harpe, the head coach of the defending champions, Wanderers, thanked his players for reaching the finals.
The reigning champions advanced after defeating their rivals, Trustco United, 39-14 in an exhilarating semi-final encounter.
In an interview following the match, De la Harpe expressed joy at reaching another final.
He said the team deserved it due to their hard work throughout the season.
“This is just the result of the work we do behind the scenes. I am happy we have reached the finals so we can defend our title this year. I knew we would reach this stage because the boys have put in so much effort this year. They deserve everything,” he said.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na