Three finals to showcase 2024’s best teams

An exciting, competitive and drama-filled season of club action in the Namibia Rugby Union’s leagues will come to a climax with three finals at the Hage Geingob Stadium tomorrow.

The main prize in the NRU premier league will be contested by the undisputed top two teams, which finished 13 log points ahead of the nearest opposition before sailing through in convincing fashion in their semi-finals two weekends ago.

FNB Unam (first on the log, 77 points) and FNB Wanderers each won 14 out of 16 matches in the regular season.

Unam somewhat surprisingly “lost” the second half of their semi-final against FNB Grootfontein, although the northern team’s challenge had already imploded with three yellow cards by the time the half-time whistle went at 24-3 against them.

Unam’s 27-15 win followed Wanderers’ progress to the final with a 49-24 victory over FNB Kudus, which featured an energetic response to the Walvis Bay team’s halftime lead of 17-15.

Grootfontein captain Wikus Jacobs is among many observers who expect a tough, competitive final which may be difficult to predict (kick-off 15:30).

“Both teams have proven strengths and possible weaknesses. It will all come down to whichever team converts the opportunities on offer into points; the one that is able to remain structured and disciplined.”

In their head-to-head clashes this season, Unam caught Wanderers flat-footed in the first round at the Unam Stadium, winning 30-17. In the rematch at Wanderers, the White Stallions won an exciting spectacle by 27-24. However, their hero of the day with a last-minute dropped goal, André van der Berg, will be absent following his move to play club rugby in France.



Reserve league final (kick-off 13:30)

Kudus’ second team finished top of the log before winning their semi-final against Rehoboth 43-19 (halftime 19-7).

Wanderers II delivered an accurate performance to eliminate Unam II by 54-20 (halftime 27-6), scoring seven tries, while fly-half Geraldo Beukes kicked 19 of the 26 points he attempted.

Both of these teams have thoroughly enjoyed their rugby this year, and are sure to produce a match worth watching.



Women’s final (kick-off 12:00)

The Unam Steenbokkies is the only NRU champion team of 2023 that qualified for this year’s final.

After winning ten out of ten league matches (storming to a points difference of 564 to just 25), very few would be betting against them. In another dominant showing in the semi-final, they beat Rehoboth Bokkies 55-17.

Their opponent tomorrow, Wanderers Bokkies, shocked United Steenbokkies with a late 28-24 semi-final win. A good part of their comeback from 0-17 down was inspired by centre Ida Visagie’s play-making, while she also kicked four out of four conversions.

Steenbokkies coach Edwin Basson says outsiders may be mistaken in thinking they’ve had it all easy this year.

“We’ve had to overcome obstacles such as transport to training sessions, or players being unavailable due to student exams. Sometimes players moved overseas, or joined Nampol, with changes forcing us to find new players that needed to be taught basic aspects of rugby.

“Therefore, establishing a harmonic team pattern was not always easy. A final is not the same as a normal pool match, so we expect Wanderers to come out at their best.”

In the only change to their starting 15, Basson has moved speedster Ivone Kooper from full-back to scrumhalf, in a switch with Veripamue Kamburona. Kooper scored four tries in the semi-final, but has proven equally dangerous from the 9 position.



Team lists received yesterday

Kudus II: 1 Lorenzo Calaca, 2 Roberto Lensley, 3 Shaiden Solomon, 4 Christiaan Hendrick Nel, 5 Nic Kotzee (captain), Jareth Koning, 7 Franco Vries, 8 Ja-Tamson van den Berg, 9 Rayshawn Shoombe, 10 Michael Koopman, 11 Algirnon Kolz, 12 Allister Miller, 13 Paulo Andrews, 14 Lucio Isaacs, 15 Ashton Mukwiilongo.

Bench: 16 Luaan Karsten, 17 Clinton Langenhoven, 18 Anthony Hoebeb, 19 Henri Rossouw, 20 Ernesto Bampton, 21 Percy Nash, 22 Scott Winborn, 23 Rewaldo Diergaardt/Ivo Croza.

Unam Steenbokkies: 15 Veripamue Kamburona, 14 Kayla-Ann Tjombe, 13 Ellen Garoes, 12 Elzane-Lee Basson, 23 Fiola Vliete, 10 Michelle Slinger, 9 Ivone Kooper, 8 Mandy Hansen, 7 Emilyn Marais, 6 Kaylin Basson, 5 Faith Tjambari, 4 Letisha Matheus, 3 Eunice Pollmann (captain), 2 Johanna Paulus, 1 Yasmine Abdul-Karim.

Bench: 16 Genuine Puriza, 17 Ndeshipewa Kambangula, 18 Candida Del Carme, 19 Liza Paulus, 20 Alina Ashipala, 21 Jeomba Tjiramba, 15 Klaudia Josef, 11 Edwinia Kastoor.

• All matches will be broadcast LIVE on NTV and https://oneuptwo.com/