Windhoek
Who says there is no life after sport, Namibian rugby legend Andre Stoop, now back in his native land after years playing rugby league in the United Kingdom, says though his playing days are over, he has no intention of turning his back on the sport that made him a household name among rugby folk.
Stoop, 56, has equipped himself with junior coaching while playing in England and Wales respectively, where he coached at several schools before he hung up his boots.
The former Namibian rugby fifteen speedster and blue-eyed boy is on the radar of several local rugby clubs campaigning in the Namibian Premier League and could soon resurface on the team bench directing orders from the dugout.
Stoop says he has received a few tempting offers to coach in the premier league but would not be drawn into revealing the identity of the teams after his signature.
“It has always been my dream to plough back the experience gained throughout my playing days, locally and internationally. I would cherish the chance of coaching in the country’s elite league.
“I still believe I have a lot to offer towards the overall growth of domestic rugby,” says one of Namibia’s most adored athletes.
The former Barbarian fullback played his club rugby for Wanderers and was a valuable member of the all-conquering White Stallions outfit in the 80’s and 90’s.
Stoop played a pivotal role in the then South West Africa’s promotion to the highly competitive South African Provincial Currie Cup as the Namibian amateurs crawled their way up from Sport Pienaar B to A, subsequently gaining promotion to the Currie Cup.
Apart from his ambition and desire to coach a local club, Stoop has now teamed up with business partners Piet Lambert and well-known local socialite Hippy Tjivikua to establish a new company Deco Construction.
The company’s primary function is to deliver quality service in the area of renovations, professional supervision of painting work, tiling, carpentry, plumbing, fitting interlocks, roofing, electrical works and extensions. Andre can be contacted at 081 800 0713 or Piet at 081 128 1278.