• Sport

Grootfontein aiming to take main prize against Wanderers

• 4 Hours Ago

After confirming their status as the leading club team in the capital, FNB Wanderers’ first team will look forward to another exciting final against a leading challenger from a different region, as the inaugural 2025 JSB Gold Cup and JSB Silver Cup reaches its conclusion on Saturday.

With a premier and reserve division for each of the Gold Cup and Silver Cup, these four finals at the Hage Geingob Stadium will be accompanied by the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU)’s women’s cup final between Unam Steenbokkies and Wanderers Bokkies.

In June this year, Wanderers’ first team lost the NRU domestic premier league final against FNB Kudus after an otherwise unbeaten campaign.

During the JSB Gold Cup, the White Stallions may have been slightly under-strength when they lost 36-44 at Grootfontein in mid-August – their first loss to the northern team since the latter joined the premier competitions.

Grootfontein, who finished top of the log, is renowned for being a tough nut to crack up front – regardless of the combinations they field. In scrums and mauls, Wikus Jacobs’ men are seldom forced onto the back foot.

Obert Nortje’s return as Wanderers’ starting hooker could make a difference in the level of accuracy of their first phases, after he played off the bench during their last-minute 34-31 win against FNB Unam last weekend.

In the Gold Cup reserve final, Wanderers’ second team will be up against FNB Kudus – the opposition that eliminated them in the NRU domestic semi-final.

In the women’s final, Unam Steenbokkies and Wanderers Bokkies will resume their rivalry in which the former has dominated in recent seasons – despite Wanderers achieving a 19-19 draw at Unam Stadium last weekend as the hosts rested some of their main strike players.



PRIZE MONEY

Thanks to the sponsorship by JSB Betting, contributions were made towards the travelling and accommodation expenses of the participating teams during this competition that spanned the second half of the local season.

The NRU informed clubs during July that prize money to the total value of N$190,000 for the JSB Gold and Silver Cup finals would be allocated as follows to winners and runners-up:

JSB Gold Cup premier final: N$50,000 / N$30,000.

JSB Silver Cup premier final: N$35,000 / N$25,000.

JSB Gold Cup reserve final: N$15,000 / N$10,000.

JSB Silver Cup reserve final: N$15,000 / N$10,000.

The women’s competition was not included in the JSB Cup structure.



PLAYERS SQUADS

The team lists received at the time of going to print:

FNB WANDERERS I: 1 Herschell van Wyk, 2 Obert Nortje, 3 ?Jurgen-Leigh Human, 4 Rainer Augustyn, 5 ?Andre Augustyn, 6 ?JP Campbell, 7 ?Sheron Rossouw, 8 Edward Drotsky, 9? Reben Botha, 10 ?Kian Fransman, 11 Nandivatu Karuuombe, 12 ?Danco Burger, 13 ?Johan Deysel, 14 ?Danie van der Merwe (captain), 15 Tolley Tjipute. Bench: 16 JC Rossouw, 17 ?Hans Ngoshi, 18 ?Iyambo Tshuuya, 19 Wickus Cowley, 20 Roche Janzen van Vuuren, 21 ?SW Kuhn, 22 ?Wiks Conradie, 23 Jurgen Meyer.

FNB WANDERERS II: 1 Jayden van Zyl, 2 JC Rossouw, 3 Iyambo Tshuuyah, 4 Phillemon Ndikwa, 5 Roche Janzen van Vuuren, 6 Wickus Cowley, 7 Dano Kotze, 8 Johan Lambert (captain), 9 Jayson Morkel, 10 Wiks Tromp, 11 Vivean Gowaseb, 12 SW Kuhn, 13 Dandre du Plessis, 14 Julian Afrikaner, 15 Irongwa Atshivudhi. Bench: Calvin Joseph, Adriaan Engelbrecht, Duncan Oppel, Innocent Kakumai, Brian Roodt, Clever Dhliwayo, Mauricio de Koe, Arthur Nel.

WANDERS BOKKIES: 1 Manuella Godenschweig, 2 Dephne Buseko, 3 Muheve Kaapama, 4 Francesca van der Merwe, 5 Astrid van Lill, 6 Alina Nuuyoma, 7 Euodia Bassingthwaighte, 8 Lourencia Rooinasie, 9 Dimitha Wagner, 10 Mani van Staden, 11 Elizabeth Ugulu, 12 Sadé Eiman, 13 Memory Tjivikua, 14 Shandre Jantjies, 15 Joana van Staden.

Bench: 16 Leena Shipanga, 17 Daniella Beukes, 18 Nekesha Armstrong, 19 Angel Kazeundja, 20 Hedwich Meyer, 21 Lizzle Tauxas, 22 Grace Lotto, 23 Chriszenthia Bassinghthwaighte.

• Full fixtures on page 2 of Sport Wrap.

• All matches broadcast live on NTV / online at https://oneuptwo.com / YouTube (Network Media Hub).