Wanderers crowned rugby champions

Wanderers were crowned Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) premier league champions on Saturday after producing a commanding 52-27 victory over Kudus in the season finale.

The victory capped a strong season for Wanderers, who finished their campaign on a high after executing their game plan to put pressure on their opponents and exploit opportunities as the match progressed.

Wanderers captain Darryl de la Harpe described the year as a good one for the team, expressing satisfaction with the victory and the manner in which his side approached the final.

He said the team went into the match intending to stretch Kudus out wide rather than make significant changes to their usual approach, believing their opponents would struggle to maintain the required fitness levels.

“We wanted to pile on pressure. We knew it was a game of process and just chopping the tree hit by hit, like we’ve done this whole year,” he said.

Wanderers have often proved dangerous in the closing stages of their previous matches, scoring most of their tries in the final 20 minutes. De la Harpe said the team once again demonstrated that ability in the final, maintaining their approach and capitalising on their opportunities.

He attributed the team’s success to its culture of hard work, humility and continuous improvement, qualities he believes have helped them remain consistent throughout the season.

“We are a team that’s really grounded, humble, we work, we play and see what we can do to get better,” said de la Harpe.

In the reserve league final, Unam edged Kudus 33-30 in a closely contested encounter to claim victory.

Unam reserve team captain Gladman Plaatjies thanked Kudus for the challenge, saying their opponents came out strongly and made the match difficult for his side.

Kudus reserve team captain Andrew Coetzee, meanwhile, praised his players despite the defeat, saying he was proud of their performance throughout the season.

“Unam was the better team today, I think they worked really hard, but I’m not disappointed in my team, I am very proud of them, we won 17 out of 18 matches and I want to challenge other teams to try and beat that next year,” he said.

In the women’s league, Wanderers defeated Unam Steenbokkies 45-26, with coach Janice Beukes describing the victory as a proud moment for the nteam nafter several near misses.

Beukes said her players knew they faced a difficult challenge against opponents they considered favourites, but encouraged them to believe in themselves, remain disciplined, give their maximum effort and trust one another on the field. Reflecting on the victory, she said the team was thrilled and relieved to have maintained its belief in its abilities and game plan throughout the match.

“We’ve worked so hard and have come so close many times and Saturday was just a proud moment for all of us as a team,” she said.

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