• Rugby

Namibian flair to be showcased at Global Sevens Series

• 1 Day Ago 15 October 2024

Dolphin Sport Club (DSC) has announced two teams that will compete in the South African leg of the Global Sevens Series Tournament in Cape Town on 29 and 30 November.



Rowhan Besser, the chairman of DSC, stated that the club had signed a five-year agreement to host the competition on Namibian soil. “We could not host the Namibian leg of the competition in Swakopmund this year. Time was not on our side. We are definitely going to host it next year and plan to do so in October, on the Day of the Dolphins. We now have more time to approach sponsors and will sit down to decide on the final date.”



Besser explained that the Dolphin Sevens team consists of the best players from the coast, while the Dolphin Barbarians team is made up of the best players in the country from central clubs and Grootfontein. “The announced squads are training groups. The players were selected based on their performance at the recent Ongos Valley Sevens Rugby tournament. The travelling squads will be reduced to 14 players in November for the tournament in South Africa.”



Support

Namibian national Sevens Rugby coach, David Philander, welcomed the initiative. “Kudos to DSC for involving all teams. It is a good step forward, and I see this as part of the growth we envision for Sevens Rugby. Some of the selected players are also in my group, and the more exposure they get, the better.”



Besser said that the players will start training this week. In a letter addressed to the Namibian Rugby Union, he requested that the Union make training facilities and equipment (rugby field, balls, shields, and tackle bags) available for the Dolphin Barbarians team, based in the central region, to facilitate their preparation.



John Heynes, the CEO of the NRU, confirmed that the Union supports the initiative. “We reignited the passion for Sevens Rugby with the support of Ongos Valley Development and are committed to growing the code. The DSC initiative is much welcomed. It is a good motivator, and the NRU has made the Hage Geingob Stadium available to accommodate training sessions.”



Making it happen

Besser added that Simoni Storm, Artsteq Asset Management, and Erongo Industrial Supply Services have come on board to help DSC make the tour a reality. “They sponsored us with jerseys and financially. We are still looking for sponsorship to cover our transport costs and humbly request sponsors and companies to come on board to ensure our participation. The teams will be accommodated at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology hostel, and the players will have access to the gym and high-performance facilities, so we just have to get there.”



Besser said the idea is for the two teams to tour together so that the players can get to know each other, build team spirit, and make history. “We are going to document this properly so that people can always be informed about the events surrounding the teams and matches over the next five years. Matches will also be broadcast. We want to make Namibian Sevens Rugby part of the international Sevens Rugby culture and offer local players the chance to compete at an international level. By doing so, our rugby can grow as a whole. We are looking forward to giving rugby players the chance to play at another level, to compete, and to make their dreams come true.”



Selected teams

The Dolphin Sevens practice group consists of twenty players, including Sheiton Besser, Romario Janga, Richard Kasimbu, Shaun Useb, Keanu Engelbert, Elmarco Beukes, Reggie Brendell, Herman van Zyl, Kevin Abrahams, Zinzan Steenkamp, Rashaad van Rooi, and Zaino van Wyk (all from Dolphin RC), Cameron Marcus (Reho Falcon RC), Shereave Titus, and Conville Draghoender (both from Unam RC), Denilo Feris (Sparta RC), Rayshawn Shoombe, Aurelio Plato, Aston Mukwilongo, and Irongwa Atshivudhi (all from Kudus RC).



The Dolphin Barbarians Sevens practice group consists of Wyatt Brook (Western Suburbs RC), Jurgen Meyer, Natie Jansen Van Rensburg, Tareekiye Tjipute, Geraldo Beukes (all from Wanderers RC), Dahmian Basserdien, Lazarus Joseph, Alfred Vercuil (all from Grootfontein RC), Manfred Garoeb (Rehoboth RC), Jerome Schumann, Keynenn Basson, Enrique Husselmann, Brian Bayer, JP Campbell (all from Reho Falcon RC), Ceejay Coetzee, Renardino Kandjal (both from Unam RC), Elzandro van Wyk, Henrico van Zyl, Reinold Benade, Timothy van Wyk, and Thehard Lindveldt (all from United RC).



The Barbarians' management consists of Ronnie Pedro (head coach), Brian Titus, and Patrick Ludwig (assistant coaches), with Bernice Doman from United as team manager. The Dolphin team is coached by Eugene Jantjies (head coach) and Otto Swartz (assistant coach).