Club pride will drive semi-finalists

Club rugby
The NRU club season is approaching its climax
Andrew Poolman
  • 9 Months Ago 17 August 2023
The honour of reaching the respective finals on 26 August will be at stake at the Hage Geingob Stadium this Saturday, when the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) hosts its semi-finals for the men’s Premier and Reserve League, as well as the Women’s Fifteens League.

FNB Wanderers – winners of each of these leagues in 2022 – have all three its teams still involved, as do Kudus and Trustco United.

The White Stallions will take on fourth-placed FNB Rehoboth at 17:45, immediately after the eagerly awaited face-off between FNB Kudus and United’s Philistines.

Wanderers’ first team finished at the top of the log for the second season in a row, after beating FNB Reho Falcon 69-14 at home last weekend.

Wanderers scored 11 tries, with flanker Anton Steenkamp scoring three. Steenkamp had earlier captained the team until being ruled out by a finger fracture.

Scrumhalf Armand Kotze and outside centre Danie van der Merwe both scored twice, with one try each to fullback Warren Ludwig, rightwing Nandivatu Karuuombe, and replacement forwards Dandre Schreuder and Thomasau Forbes. The flyhalf Ethan Koopman added seven conversions.

• United and Suburbs were evenly matched at Gemsbok Park last weekend, until United found an extra gear to turn a 12-17 deficit into a 24-17 win.

Suburbs took a 12-0 lead with two quick tries by their captain and left wing Gino Wilson and centre Jayden Links, but United struck back with two tries by hooker Gerhard Thirion and one each by lock Hanno Husselmann and substitute forward Dean Blom.

• Despite being eliminated by FNB Kudus’ forfeiture of league opoints to Rehoboth, FNB Unam finished strong with a 68-0 demolition of FNB Grootfontein at the Unam Stadium.

Unam wingers Peace Shimwino and Shareave Titus each scored twice, while flyhalf Raschano van Rooi landed eight out of 9 conversions and prop Graham April added one conversion.