Christel Janet Kotze says it’s a dream come true to lead the women’s senior and sevens rugby teams as head coach.
“Since I started coaching, the idea of one day being a national coach lingered in the back of my mind, but it was only in the last year when it really started to feel within reach,” she told New Era Sport yesterday.
With her appointment, Kotze becomes the first female coach to guide the team, which she described as the perfect opportunity to make her mark as a female coach.
“I’m the first female to coach the women’s team, so there is no one to compare myself to, just yet. Also, there hasn’t been a coach and team for five years, so this is a clean sheet,” said the 29-year-old former rugby player.
Kotze represented the women’s national side from 2014 to 2016 and was the vice-captain of the side during the 2016 season. She holds a World Rugby Level 1 15s coaching certificate.
Kotze, who is also a certified World Rugby Level 2 sevens coach, is eager to get into the thick of things, with one of her targets being to get Namibian women’s rugby going on its “continental journey”, which is to compete in various big tournaments on the continent.
“Short-term plans are to keep sharpening the skill level of the ladies, and help them continue growing in confidence within the game. Long-term – for the team to get to the point of being competitive in Africa. I believe and know the talent in Namibia is tremendous, and the ladies just need an opportunity to show the world,” she revealed.
Kotze, whose father Jaco played test and sevens rugby for Namibia, is one of 12 women who have been chosen to front Rugby Africa’s ‘Try And Stop Us’ campaign.
She represented Namibia in its debut at the Africa Women’s Sevens debut in Kenya in 2014, and recorded her country’s first points, which led to their first international victory against Zambia, during the Confederations of African Rugby Women’s Sevens tournament in South Africa in 2015. Namibia ended eighth out of 10 countries.
Kotze began coaching in 2015, and until recently was training girls at Windhoek High School, while she also works as the producer on Absolute Rugby, a Namibian magazine TV show.
The Namibia Rugby Union said that with her appointment as the new head coach, they hope to realise women’s rugby to its full potential.
“The NRU welcomes Kotze and believes that with her passion, experience and skills, she will lead our women team to realise their full potential,” read the statement.
- mkambukwe@nepc.com.na