Namibia is taking rugby to the next level with the official launch of its National Institute in 2026, in partnership with UXI Sport. Designed to train the male and female athletes of tomorrow, this centre will combine high performance and accredited academic programmes in a structured and ambitious approach. A key pillar of the NRU’s strategic plan, it aims to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of Namibian rugby in the long term.
The Namibian Rugby Union (NRU) recently presented its ambitious project for a new Namibian Rugby Institute at the Hage Geingob Stadium, with UXI Sport as its official partner, during a press conference. Officials detailed the programmes and objectives of the Institute, which is scheduled to launch in 2026. The project aims to structure Namibian rugby for the long term and support male and female athletes at all levels.
For us, the INRU is a big step. It’s our first step in helping a country, and I think it’s fundamental for us, and we will do our best to focus and align ourselves with the INRU to reach the World Cup tournaments, the qualifying tournaments, and obviously ensure that we can bring the World Cup back to Namibia.
Johan Diergaardt, Vice-President of the Namibian Rugby Union
The Namibian Rugby Institute aims to be a high-performance platform combining elite training with accredited academic and professional programmes. It aims to strengthen identification, retention and career path structuring, from amateur to professional rugby. Young talents will thus be able to progress in a structured environment, combining high-level sport with comprehensive training.
We are in a position to give more opportunities to local rugby players on the ground. Most of them leave. As I said before, their parents have to spend a lot of money, and sometimes they don’t even come back. That type of rugby is lost to Namibian rugby. So, at that point, we can keep them in our data, we can keep them partly in our pathway and partly in our system.
Donald Neilon, UXI SPORT Partner
This initiative will be led by a joint venture governed by Namibian law, with the NRU and Donald Neilon as shareholders, while UXI Sport will act as franchisor and service provider. The project is central to the NRU’s strategic rebuilding programme, demonstrating a strong commitment to the growth, competitiveness and sustainability of rugby in Namibia.
