The University of Namibia (Unam) rugby club kicked off their title defence with a hard-fought 37-25 win over Western Suburbs during their premier league clash at the Unam stadium on Saturday.

The Namibia Rugby Premier League reigning champions went into the changeover leading 29-8, as they came back strongly in the second half to force a well-deserved victory over a stubborn Suburbs side.

In a post-match interview, Unam head coach David Philander said he was satisfied with the final outcome of the tightly-contested match, adding that they showed character and determination against an equally strong opponent.

“Whenever we face Suburbs, it is a derby game, and we always expected a tough and rough match. But it’s a win at the end of the day, and that’s what makes it a successful day for Unam. But all credit goes to Suburbs as well, they gave us a good run,” he noted.

Philander added that “it was also great to see what our boys can do under pressure, and which areas need improvement. But all in all, it’s a huge win for the team.”

Meanwhile, Suburbs’ coach Lorenzo Kloppers admitted that the result was not what they expected, but that the defeat against the defending champions served as a perfect learning curve.

“I am glad that we fought and there was huge improvement in the second half, which is a positive thing. Going forward, we have an idea as to where to improve, and this will motivate the players to work much harder in the next match,” he said.

In Saturday’s results elsewhere, Wanderers thrashed Reho Falcon by 61-3 at the Wanderers stadium, while Grootfontein defeated United by 39-7. Coastal outfit Kudus beat Rehoboth by 32-15.

-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na