Zintle Mpupha

Zintle Mpupha
Mpupha at the 2024 Olympics
Date of birth (1993-12-25) 25 December 1993 (age 30)
Place of birthMiddledrift, Cape Province, South Africa
Height1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight69 kg (152 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly Half
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2021– Exeter Chiefs (0)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
?–Present South Africa 18 (91)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2013–Present South Africa

Zintle Mpupha (born 25 December 1993) is a South African women's rugby union player and cricketer from Middledrift, Eastern Cape, South Africa.[1] She played cricket for Border cricket team and rugby for Border Bulldogs as well as the South Africa women's national rugby sevens team as a fly half.[2]

Rugby

Mpupha played rugby for Border Bulldogs. In 2013 she was first called up to the South Africa national women's rugby sevens team.[3] However, due to studying for a degree at the University of Fort Hare, she stopped playing rugby sevens and started playing rugby union while at university.[3] In 2016, after graduating, Mpupha returned to the South Africa rugby sevens team. In 2017, she was offered a professional contract with the South Africa women's national rugby sevens team. This meant that she had to move to Stellenbosch, Western Cape to train with the team which meant she was unable to continue playing for either the Border cricket or rugby teams.[1]

In 2021 she became the first South African to play in the Premier 15s after she signed with Exeter Chiefs Women.[4][5]

Mpupha was selected to represent South Africa at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[6][7] She was also named in South Africa's women's fifteens team for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.[8]

She was a member of the South African side that competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[9][10] In September, She was called into South Africa's fifteens squad for the 2024 WXV 2 tournament.[11][12]

Cricket

Mpupha started playing cricket and played for the Border cricket team's under-19s when she was 14[13] and made her cricket debut for the Border cricket team in 2011.[14] Following this she was called up to the South Africa national women's under-19 cricket team.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Mvumvu, Zingisa (31 October 2017). "Border high-riding star has bigger fish to fry in Sevens". Dispatch Live. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. ^ DDR (31 October 2017). "Border stars in the Bok world Sevens frame". Dispatch Live. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Mpupha gets second shot with Bok Women's Sevens". SARFU. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  4. ^ "SA Rugby welcomes stint in England for Zintle Mpupha". SA Rugby. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Exeter sign South Africa international Mpupha". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  6. ^ "South Africa name Rugby World Cup Sevens squads". SA Rugby. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  7. ^ Mostert, Herman (2 September 2022). "Veteran Cecil Afrika recalled as Blitzboks name Rugby World Cup Sevens squad". Sport. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Springbok Women squad for Rugby World Cup in NZ named". SA Rugby. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  9. ^ "South Africa - Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Paris 2024". www.world.rugby. 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Dazel says We are ready to embrace the moment of Paris 2024". SA Rugby. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Dumke declared fit for WXV 2 campaign". SA Rugby. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  12. ^ Perkins, Bruce (23 September 2024). "All 18 squads for the 2024 WXV". 4 The Love Of Sport. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Mpupha in SA cricket squad". Daily Dispatch. Retrieved 9 November 2017 – via PressReader.com.
  14. ^ "Zintle Mpupha". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 November 2017.