AUBAGNE, 16 September - When Namibia's IRB Rugby World Cup campaign finishes, four of the squad will stay in Europe to start professional careers in Romania.

Scrum half Eugene Jantjies, wing Ryan Witbooi, full back Tertius Losper and second row Wacca Kazombiaze will join up with Romanian club Farul Constanta after an approach at the IRB Nations Cup.

"After the first game, at the function, the club head coach came and made a proposal and asked if we wanted to play for them," said Losper.

Kazombiaze, 28, who will combine playing with his post-graduate studies at the University of Constanta, is aware of his responsibilities as the oldest member of the quartet.

"We will be taking care of each other, keeping us out of unnecessary behaviour. It will be awesome having them around me. They're younger than me so will have to call me uncle and I will have to take care of them," he said.

Namibia's gain

The contracts allow the four to return to Namibia for international matches, and Jantjies says this will only benefit the national team.

"They are professional and we will learn a lot there. We can take that back to Namibia and put it back into our country," he said.

Witbooi, who was man of the match in Namibia's RWC 2007 opener against Ireland, agrees with his team-mate about the benefits.

"I think it is the start of my rugby career, so it will help with my skills. Every day you learn something new. There's lots of things to learn about rugby, you never stop learning," Witbooi said.

The players are well aware of the differences between living in Romania and Namibia, but it is not something that bothers them too much.

Kazombiaze said the time they spent in Romania for the IRB Nations Cup helped.

"We were in Romania for three weeks and they make good, delicious meals."

Jantjies realises they will be moving to Romania shortly before winter, while their families in Namibia will be enjoying a southern hemisphere summer.

"I've heard it's really cold and snowing. I'm not scared as it gets quite cold in Namibia in winter. There'll be no skiing though, it might end my career."

RNS ji/mp/gs