Namibia rugby union team
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| Union | Namibia Rugby Union |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Welwitschias |
| Emblem(s) | African fish eagle |
| Ground(s) | Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium |
| Coach(es) | Phil Davies |
| Captain(s) | Jacques Burger |
| Most caps | Johnny Redelinghuys (50) |
| Top scorer | Theuns Kotzé (344) |
| Most tries | Gerhard Mans (27) |
| First international | |
 South West Africa 0 – 9 British Lions(5 July 1955) |
|
| Largest win | |
 Namibia 112 – 0 Madagascar  (June 15, 2002) |
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| Largest defeat | |
 Australia 142 – 0 Namibia (October 25, 2003) |
|
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 5 (First in 1999) |
| Best result | Namibia 16 - 17 Georgia, 2015 |
The Namibia national rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, are a tier-two nation in the World Rugby tier system, and have participated in five Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999. They are governed by the Namibia Rugby Union.
Namibia has been playing international rugby since the early 1900s. As well as having competed at the World Cup, Namibia annually competes in the Africa Cup. Until independence, players for Namibia were also eligible to represent South Africa, with Namibian-born Springboks including Jan Ellis and, more recently, Percy Montgomery. As of 20 June 2016 they are ranked 21st in the world.
Rugby union has been played in Namibia since 1916 when it was introduced by soldiers from South Africa who had invaded the German-run colony.
Before Namibia gained its independence in 1990, the team, as South West Africa, played in South Africa's domestic club competition, the Currie Cup. The team achieved their best result in the 1988 season, where they finished third.
The Namibia Rugby Union was formed in March 1990, and it joined the International Rugby Board in the same month. Independence came too late for Namibia to qualify for the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Hardened by regular, tough competition in the Currie Cup, the first few years of Namibian rugby union were relatively successful, their highest point being 2–0 home series victories over Ireland and Italy in 1991. That year the Welwitschias won all 10 of their Tests, the others being five victories against Zimbabwe and one against Portugal in Lisbon. One of Namibia's players, Andre Stoop was signed by English champion rugby league club, Wigan.
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