Namibia’s U/20 national rugby team will look to finish their World Rugby U/20 Challenger Cup campaign on a positive note when they face Hong Kong China on Saturday in the playoff for seventh and eighth positions in Santiago, Chile.
The young Welwitschias suffered their third consecutive defeat on Monday, going down 47-22 to Belgium after trailing 26-15 at half-time. Belgium extended their second-half advantage to secure the win.
Namibia’s latest defeat followed heavy losses to Canada, 95-6, and Portugal, who won 69-12 in their respective encounters.
Despite the disappointing results, the tournament has provided Namibia’s young players with valuable international exposure as they continue to develop and measure themselves against international opposition.
Team captain Tjeripo Karuhumba said the team would maintain its preparation approach ahead of their final match, drawing on the improvements shown against Belgium compared with their opening two fixtures.
“Preparation-wise, the team will stick to what they have done this week prepping for Belgium because the results were much better than their first two games,” Karuhumba said.
Reflecting on the team’s campaign so far, the captain acknowledged the disappointing results but emphasised the importance of continued development.
“Disappointing results across three games, but we’re building. Unfortunately, we couldn’t qualify for the World Cup, but we’re building,” he said.
With their World Cup qualification hopes over, the Welwitschias will now turn their attention to Saturday’s playoff, where they can close out the tournament with a stronger performance and a positive result.
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