Maurice Kambukwe

Namibia’s senior women’s rugby coach, Christel-Janet Kotze, has hailed the team’s superb performance at the just-ended Rugby Africa Regional Women’s Sevens Tournament held in Maseru, Lesotho, which saw Namibia finishing second overall.

The tournament, which served as qualifiers for the Sevens Rugby World Cup as well as the Commonwealth Games, saw Zimbabwe crowned top finisher. 

Lesotho, Botswana and Mauritius also participated.

Speaking to New Era Sport after the tournament, a delighted Kotze said she was happy with the team’s overall performance, as finishing second overall shows how hard they have worked as a team.

She noted that almost all players in the team are new to the set-up and were competing at that level for the first time, but their courage and hunger to succeed impressed. 

“I would describe our participation as a success, especially from a Namibian standpoint. We went toe-to-toe with some of the best rugby-playing countries on the continent, and showed that the future looks very bright,” she beamed.

She also hailed the amount of exposure and opportunities the tournament creates for players, especially for the young ones coming through the ranks.

“In terms of taking home valuable lessons as a team and as players, I think the girls now know and understand the level of competition outside the country. They all gained great exposure to a high level of rugby. I think from here, going forward, we will grow stronger and play wiser as a team,” said an optimistic Kotze.

- mkambukwe@nepc.com.na