Rugby union in Namibia 5836310 168963523 2007-11-03T16:19:00Z PixelBot 5570079 robot Modifying: [[de:Rugby Union in Namibia]] [[Image:Namibia Rugby Team.jpg|Namibia Rugby Team 7s team warming up at the [[Telstra Dome]]|right|thumb|300px]] '''[[Rugby union]]''' is a popular team sport played in '''[[Namibia]]'''. ==History== Rugby union has been played in Namibia since 1916 when it was introduced by migrants from South Africa. ==Present== As in [[South Africa]] the sport is most popular among [[Afrikaans]] speaking Namibians, the sport is also popular among English speaking white Namibians. The sport is popular among school children, but the rugby union playing population in Namibia is still relatively small with only 19 clubs and around 1,100 registered senior players. ==Governing body== {{Main|Namibia Rugby Union}} The Namibia Rugby Union are the governing body for rugby union in Namibia. The organisation was formed in March 1990, the same month that it joined the [[International Rugby Board]] (IRB). ==National team== :''Main article: [[Namibia national rugby union team]]'' The [[Namibia national rugby union team|Namibian national team]] are commonly known as the [[Welwitschia]]. Until independence, players for Namibia were also eligible to represent South Africa with Namibian born Springboks including Jan Ellis and, more recently, [[Percy Montgomery]]. Various players pursue their rugby careers in South Africa and in a number of European countries. ==Domestic Competitions== ===Currie Cup=== {{main|Currie Cup}} The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Before [[Namibia]] gained its independence in [[1990]], the team, as South West Africa, played in [[South Africa]]'s [[Currie Cup]] competition. Their best result was in 1989, where they finished third. They have won the B- section Currie Cup in 1988, beating the well-known Western Province team. ==International Competitions== ===Rugby World Cup=== Namibia have made the [[Rugby World Cup|World Cup]] on three occasions, in [[1999 Rugby World Cup|1999]], [[2003 Rugby World Cup|2003]] and [[2007 Rugby World Cup|2007]], but have never won a game. ==Notes== <div class="references-small"> <references/> </div> == See also == * [[Namibia national rugby union team]] * [[Namibia Rugby Union]] ==External links== * [http://www.planet-rugby.com/Teams/Namibia/index.shtml Namibian rugby union news from Planet Rugby] {{Rugby union in}} {{Africa in topic|Rugby union in}} [[Category:Rugby union in Namibia]] [[de:Rugby Union in Namibia]]