First league rugby teams gearing up for action  

Keetmanshoop Rams, Mariental, Oranjemund and Ocean Swallows will compete in the NRU //Kharas First League this season and carry the hopes of the region in the competition.

Eastern Bulls (Gobabis), NUST, Okahandja Highlanders, Reho Falcon 3, Oceans and Sparta will be competing in the NRU Central/Erongo First League. The eight teams with the highest ranking on the log after the completion of 64 league matches will advance to the quarter-final round.

The finalised NRU domestic fixtures programme for 2026 shows that the rugby rivalry and battle for supremacy will officially commence on 25 April for teams competing in the //Kharas First League, with the first four matches of the 64-match season scheduled to kick off at 15:00. The opening clashes will see Oranjemund host Keetmanshoop Rams in Oranjemund, while Ocean Swallows take on Mariental in Lüderitz.

Keetmanshoop Rams

Keetmanshoop Rams coach Brendon Walters said his squad desperately needed front-row players. “We do not have props, and our backline is sorted for now.”

Walters said Rams would compete to reach the final. “Oranjemund and Swallows pose huge obstacles for us. Mariental also joined and looked promising at the United 10s tournament. It will be an interesting season.”

The lack of a proper training ground was hampering his side’s preparations for the upcoming season, he added. “This is one of the reasons why we could not compete at the 10s tournament in Windhoek. The municipality is attending to the grass at the stadium. We currently practise in the riverbed.”

Mariental

The chairman of Mariental, James McMaster, said the team was up and running.

“We started practising and competed at the United 10s, where we did well. The team made it into the reserve semi-final and lost against Unam II. It was a good exercise, and we are grateful for the contribution received from Willem Titties of Coca-Cola.”

McMaster said the club has good depth of backline players, but need more forwards. “There are players joining, and I am confident that we will have a solid squad when the league starts.

“The aim is to bring rugby back to our town by building a team that can compete. We lost the First League final against Etosha in 2023 and then we did not have a team in 2024.”

The team currently practises on a piece of open ground. “This is not ideal, because (for safety) the players do not execute tackles. We also share this space with a soccer team. The club does not have sponsors yet and cannot afford to pay to practise on the municipal field.”

‘Diamond City Boys’ (Oranjemund)

Oranjemund coach Hugren Andrews confirmed that his charges have already been training for a month.

“I am satisfied with the pitch at the team’s disposal. The grass has been cut, and we started training on 5 January.”

Andrews said the prospects for the upcoming season look good. “We are having a better pre-season than in 2025. A couple of youngsters who finished school have joined the squad, and we welcomed some new players.”

He said their aim is to win the league. “We had a taste when we played in the final last year, and Etosha Lions defeated us 37-26. This year we want to bring the trophy home.”

Ocean Swallows

According to Ocean Swallows coach Alvin van Wyk, things are also looking promising at the club.

“There are a couple of new faces. We have not yet had a full squad training session, but some of our players are already active in the gym.”

Van Wyk said his players are driven and eager to ensure the cup returns to Lüderitz. “The aim is to work hard, reach the final and bring the cup back home. The players are upbeat, and we cannot wait for the season to start.”

He admitted that training sessions remain a challenge for his players. “The wind is playing havoc. We moved to the Lüderitz Secondary School field at the end of last year. The field is not up to standard, but we are making the best of the situation.”

Fixtures – The second round of //Kharas First League matches will take place on 9 May, followed by fixtures on 13 June, 27 June, 11 July, 25 July and the final round of matches on 8 August. The quarter-finals of the NRU First League are scheduled for 29 August, followed by the semi-finals (12 September) and the final on 26 September.

Ongos Valley Sevens

The NRU also announced that Oranjemund will host the southern round and opening tournament of the third edition of the Ongos Valley Sevens on 3 October.

Now firmly established as a national sporting event, the Ongos Valley Sevens combines the passion of rugby with the values of community, wellness and youth development. Following its debut in 2024, this year’s tournament promises to be bigger, with better-prepared teams, greater community engagement and elevated stakes.

The 2025 edition delivered plenty of excitement, with fifteen top teams from across Namibia and the Western Cape battling for supremacy. Western Cape debutants Witz Barbarians were eventually crowned champions of the Ongos Valley Sevens championship tournament at Hage Geingob Stadium after overcoming a determined FNB Wanderers side 14-12 to lift the trophy.

The Ongos Valley Sevens is sponsored by Ongos Valley Development in partnership with the Namibia Rugby Union. The tournament focuses on youth development and creating opportunities by identifying and nurturing talented sevens players who can eventually represent Namibia at national level.