By Otniel Hembapu
WINDHOEK – Manager of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) John Williams yesterday expressed much satisfaction with the overall preparations surrounding Namibia’s eagerly-awaited participation in this year’s Vodacom Cup, which starts in March in South Africa.
Speaking to New Era Sport yesterday, Williams said they started their trials with a group of more than 50 players who will soon be cut down to a much lesser number as the trials continue and by February 21 they will select the final squad to represent the county in the tough South African competition.
“I’m really satisfied with the progress witnessed so far and I have to say all the players have demonstrated their dedication and eagerness to represent their country, and that’s something very motivating for me. We still have more than 50 players on board but we’ll obviously cut the number down with the aim of selecting our final squad.
“With the upcoming Vodacom Cup we strictly want to focus on home-based players and other youngsters as it will be a great opportunity for them to gain some well needed exposure while competing at the highest level, so this is a great opportunity for local players to go out there and show the world what they can offer.”
On his part NRU Chief Executive Officer Sybrand de Beer reassured that everything is well in place for Namibia’s participation in the highly competitive Vodacom Cup, further confirming that the union has also secured a sponsor for their participation. The sponsor will be announced at a later stage.