Welwitschias and National Men Team 15’s hooker Obert Nortje has decided to “step away” from Rugby due to a medical condition.

Nortje, who is 25, has made 23 appearances for Namibia - including at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan - since his debut against Senegal in 2017.

He is part of the contracted players, which the Namibia Rugby Union announced at a press conference in Windhoek on Tuesday the 28h of March 2023, but his career has often been impacted by I’ll health. 

Explaining his decision to halt his rugby career, Nortje said: ‘“Sadly, I have decided to step away from rugby and contact sports completely due to a diagnosed health condition. I need
to take my health, future and quality of life into consideration. This has been one of the toughest decisions I ever had to
make, but I need to look after myself and I look forward to new opportunities and challenges, which I can engage in despite
my condition".