Next steps for Namibia are the most important, says coach Allister Coetzee

Namibia’s long wait for a World Cup win since their debut in 1999 now stretches to a record 26 matches, all defeats, as they blew a chance for victory in their final Pool A fixture on Wednesday when they let a 20-12 halftime lead over Uruguay slip.

With conditioning an issue – especially as they played a punishing four games in 19 days – tired bodies and minds in the second half saw them receive two yellow cards and a red to lose 36-26.

They had six cards in the tournament and scored three tries, but despite this, Coetzee believes the experience has been a positive one, and now the question is how they build on it in the next cycle to the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

"There is a sense that it is a step in the right direction, the way we have played and what we have achieved in a short time,” he told reporters on Thursday. “It really has been a short time, getting the squad together and preparing for the World Cup.

"The last two months have been the equivalent of the amount of test matches we have played over four years. We played three in (South America, including) Uruguay in Montevideo and four here – seven test matches.

"This national team has played eight matches in four years and if we can get the necessary test matches, we will be much better prepared for the next one."

Coetzee has spoken at length during the tournament about the need for Namibia to have high performance programmes for players, and a franchise team to compete regularly in international club competition, just like Uruguay, Chile and Fiji.

“I am sure our country, the rugby-following people in Namibia, were looking for a first win, we are all obsessed with the first win. But we forget about the steps we should take, not to hope for a first win but to know we will get a first win and keep going.

"We've got an opportunity again now to get it right, and to do the right things and make sure we are better off when we go to the next World Cup."