Rugby union in Namibia
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Rugby union is a popular team sport played in Namibia.
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[edit] History
Rugby union has been played in Namibia since 1916 when it was introduced by migrants from South Africa.
[edit] Present
As in South Africa the sport is most popular among Afrikaans speaking Namibians, the sport is also popular among English speaking white Namibians.
The sport is popular among school children, but the rugby union playing population in Namibia is still relatively small with only 19 clubs and around 1,100 registered senior players.
[edit] Governing body
The Namibia Rugby Union are the governing body for rugby union in Namibia. The organisation was formed in March 1990, the same month that it joined the International Rugby Board (IRB).
[edit] National team
- Main article: Namibia national rugby union team
The Namibian national team are commonly known as the Welwitschia.
Until independence, players for Namibia were also eligible to represent South Africa with Namibian born Springboks including Jan Ellis and, more recently, Percy Montgomery. Various players pursue their rugby careers in South Africa and in a number of European countries.
[edit] Domestic Competitions
[edit] Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Before Namibia gained its independence in 1990, the team, as South West Africa, played in South Africa's Currie Cup competition. Their best result was in 1989, where they finished third. They have won the B- section Currie Cup in 1988, beating the well-known Western Province team.
[edit] International Competitions
[edit] Rugby World Cup
Namibia have made the World Cup on three occasions, in 1999, 2003 and 2007, but have never won a game.
[edit] Notes
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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