9 April 2008
The Namibia Rugby Union's new chief executive officer Keith Allies is excited about the task at hand and brimming with ideas to develop rugby in Namibia and at an international level.
Allies, a seasoned sports administrator with more than 20 years' experience, was recently appointed as the new CEO, after the former CEO Christo Alexander accepted a new post created in the NRU, namely that of Director of Rugby.
Allies told Namibia Sport that he was looking forward to the challenge and hoped to bring a new and professional approach to the job.
"It is a challenging position and I will have to remain in contact with world trends at the highest level of the game, specifically with regard to the changes in the game and the administration of rugby.
Rugby has become a business and we need to adhere to business ethics of transparency and corporate governance," he said.
A topic close to Allies' heart is that of the welfare and development of clubs, which he said would receive special attention.
"At the end of the day it is the clubs who make the NRU - they are the main shareholders and their interests must come first.
I think they have to benefit from dividends made by the NRU.
They must feel they are a part of the NRU and must be assisted with their activities," he said.
Allies said that the lack of sponsors for clubs remained a problem, especially since most sponsorships went to the mother body.
"There is less money available from sponsors for the clubs, so I think the NRU needs to look at a way of supporting them financially," he said.
He said he had a few projects in mind to bring the NRU closer to the corporate world.
"We need to strengthen our structures and we need acquire the best skills, irrespective of political ties, religion or race," he said.
"We must also ensure that rugby does not work in isolation and in this regard I would like to work closer with other sport bodies in Namibia like the Namibia Football Association," he said.
RUGBY IN THE REGIONS Another aspect close to his heart is that of rugby in the regions, which he said needs to be strengthened.
"We need to build and strengthen a regional identity for teams in the outlying areas.
It's important that they create their own identity and that they start playing at a higher level, for instance, against South African country districts teams," he said.
Allies said that the NRU's relationship with the South African Rugby Union needs to be strengthened so that Namibian rugby can benefit more from ties with their southern African neighbour.
"We need to start working on the 2009 competitions now already, so that we can ensure that Namibia is included in their competitions.
We need to select the right competition so that our rugby can be strengthened," he said.
Allies said other aspects that needed attention included Sevens Rugby, which will hold African qualifiers for next year's World Cup, training camps and coaching courses.
"We need to get all role players involved and hold a think tank to discuss our vision for rugby and where we are heading," he said.
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