The team that has never won a World Cup game
Which team has competed at the World Cup regularly but has never won a single game? Today we take a look at the team from Namibia, galant competitors but a victory has always eluded them.
The team with the African fish eagle emblem on their chest, called the Welwitschias, made their debut in the game’s marquee event in 1999 and have appeared ever since but are yet to win a game.
Dubbed the Welwitschias, Namibia’s rugby team is named after the plant that was first discovered in the Namib Desert in 1860 by Friedrich Welwitsch, an Austrian botanist. Namibia’s national plant, Welwitschia mirabilis, with only two leaves, can survive for a thousand years in the Namib Desert.
This team from the south Atlantic coast of Africa has been breaking records at the World Cup but for all the wrong reasons. In 2003 they lost 0-142 to Australia at the Adelaide Oval which is still the biggest RWC defeat ever.
At RWC 2015, in losing 14-58 to New Zealand in their opening game, the Welwitschias brought up the unwanted record of conceding 1,000 points at Rugby World Cups. Only four other teams have done so: USA, Canada, Romania and Japan.
The men from Namibia managed to secure their seventh consecutive World Cup spot when they brushed off Kenya 36-0 in the final of the Africa Cup 2022.
The most memorable match came in 2015 when they narrowly lost 16-17 to Georgia at Sandy Park, Exeter.
The Welwitschias brushed off the disappointment of losing their captain and talisman, Jacques Burger to an early injury to hold the lead at half-time – the first time they had achieved this in 18 tournament appearances.
One of their most iconic moments came when they played against one of the best teams in the world, the All Blacks during the 2015 RWC at the Olympic Stadium when centre Johan Deysel, this year’s captain, sliced through the defence in the 51st minute.
Scoring against the eventual winners in front of over 50,000 fans made for a special early 24th birthday present for Deysel, who crashed over in the 51st-minute of the 54-14 defeat.
“I can remember every second like it was yesterday. I don’t think I will ever forget it,” the centre recalled in a recent interview with World Rugby.
“Because we were the underdog, the crowd were behind us when we did something good or special, and when I scored, they went mental.
“It is my best rugby memory.”
One of their stand-out players was flanker Jacques Burger who is regarded as their most famous player of all time. He started all 36 of his tests for Namibia and appeared at three Rugby World Cups (2007, 2011 and 2015), captaining the team in the latter two tournaments.
Another name to mention is Eugene Jantjies, the versatile half-back who is the only player to represent Namibia at four World Cups (2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019), making a total of 14 appearances.
Coach Allister Coetzee, who is assisted by former Springbok and England coach Matthew Proudfoot, announced their training squad for the World in June.
It’s a WIN for Namibia in Chile 🇳🇦🏉 pic.twitter.com/jCgmoEt8BT
— Namibia Rugby (@namibia_rugby) August 12, 2023
Namibia managed to edge Chile 28-26 in their third World Cup warm-up match last weekend.
This follows two previous games in preparation for their participation in the World Cup. On July 29 they lost 27-34 to an Argentina XV and a week later they succumbed to Uruguay 18-26 .
The Namibians, who conceded three tries in the first half, trailed by 12 points at the break (19-7), but turned the game around with three late tries.
Namibia face the Bulls on Saturday, August 26 in Windhoek in their last warm-up game.
They are in Pool A alongside New Zealand, France, Italy and Uruguay.
Coetzee is yet to announce his final squad of 33.
Additional source @WorldRugby
