Namibia head to South America for World Cup preparations

WINDHOEK : Namibia coach Allister Coetzee has named a 35-man squad for a four-team series in South America later this month as he looks to settle on his selection for the Rugby World Cup.

The southern African nation take on an Argentina XV on July 29 and Uruguay on Aug. 5 in Montevideo before travelling to Temuco to meet hosts Chile on Aug. 12 as they prepare for the World Cup in France, which starts in September.

The squad includes 13 players who competed for Namibia at the last World Cup in Japan four years ago.

Namibia qualified for their seventh successive World Cup after beating Kenya 36-0 in the Rugby Africa Cup final last year but have lost all 22 World Cup matches since their 1999 debut.

Namibia are in Pool A, starting against Italy in St Etienne on Sept. 9 before playing New Zealand, France and Uruguay.

Their final warm-up match before the World Cup will be against South Africa's Bulls in Windhoek on Aug. 26.