Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) yesterday announced their final 30-man squad that will face South Africa’s Boland Cavaliers in an international friendly match. 

The match will be played at Namibia’s home of rugby, the Hage Geingob Stadium in the capital, and is scheduled to start at 15h00. It will be played behind closed doors as spectators are barred due to the mourning period for late founding president Sam Nujoma. 

Speaking during the announcement at Hage Geingob Stadium yesterday, NRU vice president Johan Diergaardt said Saturday’s encounter is one of their many preparatory matches for the upcoming 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifiers. He said the team is mostly composed of local players, who will be given a chance to test themselves. 

“We will use all 30 players, and all of them will be eligible to play. In the case of a yellow card, players will be able to be replaced by another player. Regarding red cards, a player will be replaced 20 minutes after being booked,” Diergaardt stated. 

Regarding the importance of this match, he said, “There is a need for us to play this game. It consists of local players eager to make their mark, and by giving them an opportunity to play, it gives us a huge chance to have a large pool of potential players for the anticipated qualifiers later in the year,” he said. 

The Welwitschias will be hoping to secure their seventh World Cup appearance if they remain unstoppable during the qualifiers later this year. 

-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na