Thread: Should rubgy have won an award at the MTC Namibia Sport Awards?

Well, I think Namibia should be very proud of its rugby team qualifying and participating for the Rugby World Cup 2007. Considering just how few clubs and players there are in the country this was an amazing feat. And the boys can hold their heads high for their spirited performances. So on this basis the sport should have received more recognition at the recent awards than other codes.

However, I'm sure the judges were just as concerned as the wider public about allegations of misconduct on the part of the game's administrator's when they attempted to sell tickets to the tournament at a profit to themselves through a South African comany.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) had this to say on the matter follwing an investigation: "The plain fact is, we (IRB) are completely satisfied as from about the end of May 2007 that the Namibia Rugby Union knew a sale of tickets to M and L was taking place, which was in flagrant breach of conditions. And the Minister of Sport, John Mutorwa , said that as far as he was concerned "they did nothing and would have done nothing without the intervention of this process." He is also reported ot have said that "the statements of the IRB Appeal Committee were a serious indictment and rebuke of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) leadership."

This does not exactly make for awards, does it? I can't see how the sport's administrator's could have stood on a public platform and received an award for the sport when the presidnet of the Namibia Rugby Union, Mr. Conradie, had to publicly apologise to white Namibian compatriots for the hurt he may have caused them as a result of any discriminatory utterances made by him, and to those persons whom he may have hurt as a result of any of his actions.

I feel sorry for the players, who probably should have received an award.

Rugby is successful, for sure. But the administrators are not. They have put themselves and the sport to shame.

I don't play Rugby, but the best award for Namibia's Rugby players: Fire the administrators and get in people who at least know what the ball looks like and will work to promote the game and not their bank balances ... or inflated egos.