Namibia Clinch Barthés Trophy

Namibia secured the Barthés Trophy after winning all three of their matches against Zimbabwe, Kenya, and now Tunisia at the tournament. In doing so the Namibians equaled Kenya’s record of winning three titles in the Rugby Africa Under-20 Championship. The triumph marks Namibia’s return to the top of Africa’s premier youth rugby competition after a seven-year drought, having previously won the inaugural Barthés Trophy titles in 2017 and 2018, while Kenya were champions in 2019, 2021, and 2024.


The Namibians dominated the bottom-placed Tunisians in Harare, and secured the tournament before the day’s final round-robin match between hosts Zimbabwe and Kenya. Tunisia’s young side struggled to contain a relentless Namibian attack, with three early tries setting the tone for a 13-try rout. Two standout performances came from left-winger Jurgen-David Meyer and outside-centre Petrus Tromp, who each scored hat-tricks, while lock JP Campbell added a brace to cap off a commanding display at the Old Hararians Sports Club. Lock Mohamed Yassine Dimassi scored a consolation try for Tunisia.


Organised by Rugby Africa (www.rugbyafrique.com), the continental governing body of Rugby across Africa, in partnership with Zimbabwe Rugby Union the 2025 tournament features host nation Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tunisia and Kenya.


_{Source Rugby Africa}