Plotting a bright future for rugby's pathway

Schools rugby
Otis Daniels
  • 6 Days Ago 10 October 2024
Namibia Secondary Schools Rugby (NSSR)’s annual general meeting scheduled for November will serve as a platform for council members to deliberate and propose enhancements for the league's future iterations, starting from 2025 onwards.

“Building on three years of post-pandemic growth, the NSSR aims to engage additional partners to cultivate a more professional rugby milieu, enhancing not just player development but also enabling participating schools to compete with regional counterparts,” said Albert Arries, the secretary of the NSSR.

The 2024 season of the Standard Bank NSSR League concluded triumphantly, marked by thrilling rugby matches across all age groups from under-14 to the U19 Super League.

“This year's league has once again affirmed the nation's appetite for structured sports and the abundance of talent among our youth waiting to be nurtured,” said Arries.

Commencing in May, the 2024 season saw over 250 games played, engaging 1800 young players across 10 divisions in 15 urban and rural venues nationwide.

The playoff encounters were notably competitive, with teams demonstrating their skill and dedication throughout.

Arries highlighted that the season proceeded without any major injuries. “This is a testament to the effective conditioning programs and quality coaching integrated into team preparations.”

He also extended gratitude to Standard Bank for their commitment to sports development. “This is a key aspect of the bank’s community engagement, which has realized the aspirations of numerous young rugby enthusiasts.”



Player retention

According to Arries, one aspect the NSSR could improve involves the retention of players on structured pathways.

“We are actively pursuing the creation of a better platform for player selection when it comes to regional and national trials with the Namibia School Sport Union (NSSU) and the Namibian Rugby Union (NRU).”

He added that the NSSR need more teams entering the Under 14 and U15 leagues to support the Under 19 Premier League.

“We are exploring the possibility of having a more aligned Nations Cup in the June-July test period which could allow the Under 16 and Under 18 players to participate in a Nations Cup competition that aligns with the Africa Cup in which our senior men’s team compete.”

Arries said the newly established 2024 database will facilitate improved collaboration between the NSSR and the NRU. According to him, this will strengthen and facilitate the selection of promising players for the national under-20 squad and the NRU Academy, thereby also contributing to their own career advancement.

The NSSR implemented an online player registration system and created a database of players.

“We have an estimated 1800 registered players in our leagues. This data is invaluable for the future of our rugby. It allows player tracking and a centralised system for administration. The NRU will assist us in compiling information on positions and bio-data of players and this will allow the Union to call up players to our future U20 teams and beyond,” Arries concluded.