Our goal is to reach the play-offs this season: Nel

WINDHOEK, 24 AUG  – National rugby team coach, JP Nel says their goal this year is to reach the play-offs of the 80th edition of the Currie Cup First Division to be played between 25 August and 19 October 2018.
The Welwitschias, as the senior national rugby team is known, will start their first match of the competition in the Currie Cup First Division, at the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday.
They will play against the competition’s defending champions, the Griffons, at 16h00.
Nel said their match will not be a walk in the park, but his team is ready to fight for every point on Saturday.
“This is not going to be an easy match, but we have a good squad of players who we believe will go into the match fighting. We have most of the players who competed in the Africa Gold Cup and the experience they gained from there will come in handy when the two teams clash,” he added.
This will be the third season Namibia will compete in the Currie Cup First Division.
In their inaugural season in 2016, Namibia lost all their matches and finished bottom of the six-team log.
In their second season in the competition the Welwitschias showed some improvement, winning one match to finish seventh overall.
Nel told this agency the time has come for the players to start showing what they have gained while competing in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge, as well as the Currie Cup.
“We have some senior players who picked up injuries while competing in the Africa Gold Cup but those who are in the squad are equally good and I am positive they will hold their end when they meet the Griffons who are a very strong team.”
The coach added that their aim in the competition is to expose more Namibian players to international competitions.
“We are hoping to see a number of new players being introduced to the team during the competition because our main aim is having as many young players introduced to the team and gain as much experience at a high level as possible,” Nel concluded. – NAMPA