Luxolo Koza
| Date of birth | 18 September 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 112 kg (17 st 9 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Muir College, Uitenhage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Professional rugby player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Luxolo Koza (born 18 September 1994 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Template:Rut Pumas.[1] He is a utility forward, but has mainly played as a loosehead prop in first class rugby.
Career
Eastern Province
As a scholar at Muir College in Uitenhage, Koza was selected to represent Eastern Province at the Under-18 Craven Week tournament. He earned a selection for both the 2011 tournament held in Kimberley and the 2012 tournament held in Port Elizabeth, mainly playing as a lock for Eastern Province.
In both these seasons, he also represented the Template:Rut Eastern Province U19s in the annual Under-19 Provincial Championship. In 2011, he made three appearances but could not prevent Eastern Province finish rock bottom of Division B. He appeared on two occasions in 2012 – now mainly playing as a loose forward – as Template:Rut Eastern Province U19 reached the final of the competition where they lost to near neighbours Template:Rut Border U19.
Griquas
After finishing school, Koza moved to Kimberley to join Template:Rut Griquas for the 2013 season. He represented Template:Rut Griquas U19 in the 2013 Under-19 Provincial Championship making four starts as a loose forward and scoring tries in consecutive matches against Template:Rut Griffons U19[2] and Template:Rut Limpopo Blue Bulls.[3]
His first class debut came for Template:Rut Griquas during the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition. He played off the bench in their 26–24 victory over the Template:Rut Blue Bulls in Pretoria.[4] After a further substitute appearance the following week against the Template:Rut Griffons,[5] he made his first senior start (now playing as a loosehead prop) in their 68–13 defeat of the Template:Rut Limpopo Blue Bulls in Kimberley[6] and also started their home match against the Template:Rut Golden Lions in the same competition.
He was also named in their squad for the 2014 Currie Cup qualification tournament and made his debut in that competition in their 52–5 victory against the Template:Rut Border Bulldogs.[7] Griquas went on to win the qualification tournament and clinch a spot in the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division, but Koza played no part in that competition, instead reverting to the Template:Rut Griquas U21 side where he started all seven of his side's matches during the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship.
He made two starts and one appearance off the bench during the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition, helping them finish in second position on the Northern Section log, before they lost in the semi-finals to the Template:Rut Pumas.[8] In the second half of 2015, he was once again mainly used by the Template:Rut Griquas U21 side, starting seven matches for them in the 2015 Under-21 Provincial Championship Group B, as they reached the semi-finals before losing to Template:Rut Limpopo Blue Bulls U21.[9] He missed one match during their season due to his involvement with the senior side; on 29 August 2015, he made his Currie Cup debut, coming on as a replacement just after the hour mark in their 32–46 defeat to the Template:Rut Blue Bulls in Round Four of the 2015 Currie Cup Premier Division.[10]
Pumas
He moved to Nelspruit during 2016 to join the Template:Rut Pumas.[11]
References
- ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Luxolo Koza". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Griquas 25–21 Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Griquas 40–38 Limpopo Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 21 September 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 24–26 GWK Griquas". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – GWK Griquas 20–12 Down Touch Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – GWK Griquas 68–13 Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – GWK Griquas 52–5 Border". South African Rugby Union. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – GWK Griquas 14–28 Steval Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Limpopo Blue Bulls U21 22–18 Griquas U21". South African Rugby Union. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – ORC Griquas 32–46 Vodacom Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ^ "Griekwas span oud-Leeu teen Luiperds in". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). 19 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.