Kampala – Uganda | When Le Roux Malan was writhing in pain on the turf after his horrific injury against New Zealand at the 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup in France, the young Namibia centre feared that his tournament was over.
But that was not the worst feeling that occupied his mind in the aftermath of the horrendous clash at Stadium de Toulous on 15 September 2023.
As the severity of the injury became clear to everybody and the pain took toll on the Namibian midfield ace, it quickly dawned on Malan that it wasn’t just the remaining two games of the World Cup that he ought to be worried about.
There might be no more rugby for him ever again.
“It was quite a scary experience seeing my leg facing 90 degrees,” Malan tells Rugby Africa ahead of Namibia’s Rugby Africa Cup final against Zimbabwe on Saturday, July 19.
“The first thing that came to my mind was that my career was over. The pain was unbearable.”
Malan broke and dislocated his right ankle in the first-half of Namibia’s 71-3 heavy defeat to the All Blacks.
It’s a potentially career-ending injury, and Malan had every reason to fear the worst.
He initially received surgery on the day of the injury before flying back home to Namibia to start a long journey to full recovery.
The New Zealand team sent Malan an All Blacks jersey signed by all their players. It took Malan seven months to return to the rugby field again.
“The support I got from everybody was awesome, the All Blacks, World Rugby, then the surgery,” Malan says.
“But it took a while for me to regain my confidence, seven months. Until I finally felt like it doesn’t bother me again, which is awesome.”
Malan received most of his rehabilitation at his Major Rugby League (MRL) club New England Free Jacks in the United States, who he owes a great debt of gratitude.
“I went back to Boston, they took very good care of me,” Malan says.
“The first two months were really slow. It started with two times per week – mobility, taking care of the scar tissue. Then we ramped it up in the new year. Initially it was the healing process and regaining strength. Then heavy lifting, lots of fitness. They listened to me and how I felt, which helped a lot because it didn’t stretch my body.”
Although the now 26-year-old Malan has since switched clubs to Hawke’s Bay in the MRL, he cherishes the time at New England Free Jacks. “It has been good, they’ve treated me well,” he comments. It’s the best culture I’ve been part of. We’ve had lots of success, we have an amazing team and an amazing coach.”
Malan’s incredible comeback from injury is a display of an in-born fighting spirit in him.
Another one is that at Paarl Boys’ High School in the Western Cape, one of South Africa’s best rugby-playing schools, Malan didn’t make a huge impression early on before he started to show his real quality.
“I was lucky to go to South Africa and play at Paarl Boys’ High,” Malan says. “We had very good coaches over there. But I was always the underdog, playing ‘B’ sides. When the opportunity came to play for the first XV, I took it with both hands.” And then he would go on to play Varsity Cup rugby for the University of Cape Town before moving to the US via Sharks in South Africa.
Just under two years ago, Malan was concerned that he would miss Namibia’s last two pool games in the World Cup against France and Uruguay as he roared on the ground in severe discomfort. Then he thought he would never play again.
Having played for a year now following his nasty injury, Malan has returned to international rugby at the on-going Rugby Africa Cup in Kampala, eager to help his country qualify for its eighth World Cup in a row.
“I’m only seeing the boys again for the first time since the World Cup,” says Malan.
“It’s always good to be back in the environment, seeing the culture grow. I think we are trending in the right direction.”
Next Saturday, July 19, Namibia and Zimbabwe will clash in the final of the Rugby Africa Cup. The winner will secure a spot at the Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027.
The losing finalists will remain in Kampala for another week to take on the United Arab Emirates in a decisive play-off. The UAE finished as runners-up in the 2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship.
