Yanga Xakalashe
| Date of birth | 16 August 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | East London, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 132 kg (20 st 11 lb; 291 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Gwaba Combined School, East London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yanga Xakalashe (born 16 August 1983 in East London, South Africa) is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with the Template:Rut Border Bulldogs.[1] His regular position is prop.
Career
He was a member of the Template:Rut Border U21 side that played in the 2005 Under-21 Provincial Championship. The following season, he was included on the bench for the Template:Rut Border Bulldogs' senior side for their 2006 Vodacom Cup match against Template:Rut Western Province. However, he failed to make an appearance in a 9–18 defeat to their Western Cape rivals.[2]
He played club rugby over the next few seasons and it wasn't until eight years later that he got another chance at provincial level; he was one of several amateur players brought into the Template:Rut Border Bulldogs provincial set-up at the start of 2014 after the professional side was declared bankrupt.[3] He was included in their squad for the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition and made his debut in their first match of the season against the Template:Rut Sharks XV. He came on as a replacement ten minutes into the second half to make his first class debut, aged 30 years, 203 days.[4] He made four appearances off the bench before starting their final two matches of the competition against the Template:Rut SWD Eagles[5] and Template:Rut Boland Cavaliers.[6]
He was also named in their squad for the 2014 Currie Cup qualification tournament, with a spot in the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division up for grabs for the winners. His first Currie Cup start came in their Round One match against eventual winners Template:Rut Griquas in a 5–52 defeat. In his next match, against Template:Rut Boland Cavaliers in East London, Xakalashe scored his first senior try, a consolation try in a 12–37 defeat.[7] He made three more appearances, including one start in their final match against the Template:Rut Leopards in Potchefstroom.[8] A 103–15 win for the home team ensured the competition ended in disastrous fashion for the Bulldogs, who lost all six their matches. He played a further five times during the 2014 Currie Cup First Division and featured in their only win of the season, a 19–18 victory over the Template:Rut Falcons.[9]
Xakalashe was retained for 2015, being included in the Border Bulldogs squad for the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition.
References
- ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Yanga Xakalashe". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border Bulldogs 9–18 Vodacom Western Province". South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2006. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Bankrupt BRFU can't pay staff". Daily Dispatch. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border Bulldogs 24–46 Cell C Sharks XV". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border Bulldogs 26–40 SWD Eagles". South African Rugby Union. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Regent Boland Cavaliers 41–17 Border Bulldogs". South African Rugby Union. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border 12–37 Boland". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards 103–15 Border". South African Rugby Union. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border Bulldogs 19–14 Valke". South African Rugby Union. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2016.