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The Seattle Seawolves have signed Obert Nortjé for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. A member of Namibia’s team at Rugby World Cup 2019, he was most recently contracted to Uruguay’s Súper Liga side Peñarol and started their only regular season match before the 2020 SLAR season was suspended.
Nortjé began his professional career in 2017 with the Welwitschias, Namibia’s entry in South Africa’s Currie Cup. Later that year he earned his test debut against Senegal. To date Nortjé has won 17 test caps including 9 starts. He was a replacement against both South Africa and New Zealand in Japan.
The Seawolves now have three specialist hookers under contract including returnees Stephan Coetzee and Mike Shepherd. Nortjé is the fourth Namibian set to play in MLR following World Cup teammates Adriaan Booysen, Damian Stevens, and Cliven Loubser. A fifth, Wian Conradie, was signed by the Dallas Jackals but is currently without a club after the expansion cited withdraw from the 2021 season.
