Johan Diergaardt, vice president of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU), said the primary objective of the newly introduced 2025 Club Championship is player development.

He shared these sentiments in response to questions about the one-day tournament. 

He stated that Namibia’s rugby, at both club and national levels, has many crucial competitions lined up ahead. 

For the teams and players to thrive, early preparations and frequent match play are essential for developing players.

“It’s the first time this specific tournament is happening in a while. It used to be staged way back, and we decided to bring it back to provide game time,” Diergaardt said. 

“The Saturday tournament is aimed at providing game time and easily developing players because after this month, we have back-to-back games lined up. For our local players to compete, they would need to constantly engage in local games,” he added. 

The tournament will take place this weekend at the Hage Geingob Stadium in the capital.

It will feature six Premier League clubs, namely Wanderers, University of Namibia, Grootfontein, Khomasdal’s Western Suburbs and coastal team Dolphins. 

Teams will compete in a round-robin format, leading into high-stakes semi-finals and a championship final. 

Each team will be represented by a squad of 27 players. Special eligibility rules apply for front-row players.

Jood Opperman, head coach of Western Suburbs, welcomed the initiative.

 He called it a positive step from the local rugby governing body. 

“I think it’s a good thing for all of us – the coaches and players. We are all fortunate. The NRU has done so well in ensuring that the clubs and players are ready for upcoming major events,” he commented.

“I believe this is a great idea from the leadership. We have many events coming up, such as the Gold and Silver cups. Players engaging in this will help get their fitness level to where they want,” Opperman added. 

“The cup used to be played back in the days, but bringing it back says so much about how much we want our rugby to grow,” he said.

Roger Thompson, head of rugby for Kudus, echoed similar sentiments.

He noted that teams have been “yearning for competition time”.

He stated: «We usually don›t have many local competitions. Bringing back this competition will help identify talent and develop them. We have to thank the NRU for working tirelessly,” he said. 

The NRU league ended two months ago, with coastal outfit Kudus being crowned champions of the league. 

– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na