WINDHOEK: The senior national rugby team, the Welwitschias were on Wednesday defeated 10-32 by Zimbabwe at the Africa Rugby Cup after a dismal performance at the refurbished Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.

The 2024 Rugby Africa Cup, which will run until Sunday, features the top eight rugby unions across Africa and is being held at the refurbished Mandela National Stadium and Wankulukuku Stadium.

Namibia, the second highest-ranked team in Africa, struggled to put points on the scoreboard against Zimbabwe, who were more determined to prove a point against their opponents.

Namibia’s defence was put to the test just 14 minutes into the game, when Zimbabwe scored their first try. This was followed by another try just 30 minutes into the match, at which point the Namibian team was unable to match its counterparts, having scored only three points.

Namibia won two more penalties in the first half, both of which were missed, but as halftime approached, Zimbabwe could have added to their points tally,
however, they too missed a penalty, resulting in a halftime score of 03-14 in their favour.

In the second half, the Welwitschias had nothing to offer as their opponents improved their performance, scoring three more tries and a penalty. This dashed Namibia’s hopes of retaining the cup, which they have won on six occasions.

As the game approached the 80-minute mark, Namibia finally scored their only try of the match, breaking through Zimbabwe’s strong defensive line to bring the score to 10-32.

Namibia will now face Kenya in the third-place play-off on Sunday, while Zimbabwe will take on Algeria in the final of the Africa Rugby Cup.

The Rugby Africa Cup displays the incredible talent of African rugby unions. The participating nations in this year’s championships are Zimbabwe, Algeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and the host nation, Uganda.

The 2024 tournament serves as the initial stage of the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup qualifiers for the African region. Namibia’s win in the 202
2 Rugby Africa Cup secured them a spot in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which was held in France, with Kenya finishing as the runner-up.

Source: The Namibia News Agency