 Mlaba representing The Junior Boks in 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Wandile Mlaba | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 21 March 2005 Durban, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (225 lb; 16 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Michaelhouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wandile Mlaba (born 21 March 2005)[1] is a South African rugby union player who plays as an eighth man or flanker for the Stormers and Western Province in the Currie Cup. He represented the South Africa Under-20 side between 2024 and 2025.
Early life and education
[edit]Mlaba was born in Durban, South Africa, and educated at Michaelhouse, a boarding school in KwaZulu-Natal. He played for the school’s First Team and was selected for the Craven Week tournament in both 2022 and 2023, representing KwaZulu-Natal at South Africa’s premier schools rugby competition. He later represented SA Schools U18 'A's, marking his progression through the national age group system. In 2023, Mlaba, along with Campbell Ridl and Luke Davidson, was part of the Michaelhouse 1st team that won the Rugby School International U18s Sevens Tournament in the UK.[2]
After completing his schooling, Mlaba enrolled at the University of Cape Town, where he represented the UCT Ikey Tigers in the Varsity Cup while continuing his development within the Western Province rugby structures.
Rugby career
[edit]South Africa Under-20
[edit]Mlaba was called up to the Junior Springboks squad in 2024 as an injury replacement during the World Rugby Under 20 Championship. He made his tournament debut off the bench in South Africa’s final pool-stage match against Wales.[3]
He was retained in the Junior Springboks setup in 2025 and featured in the U20 Rugby Championship hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay. Mlaba scored two tries in South Africa’s 48–45 defeat to New Zealand, with independent match reports highlighting his impact from the base of the scrum and in open play.[4][5]
He earned a total of eight caps for the Junior Springboks between 2024 and 2025, scoring ten points.
Professional career
[edit]Mlaba came through the Western Province system, representing the province’s under-21 side in age-group competitions and contributing to their title-winning campaigns at that level.[6]
He made his senior professional debut for the Stormers during the 2025–26 Investec Champions Cup season, appearing as a replacement forward and registering his first senior appearance for the franchise.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Wandile MLABA - Player statistics - It's rugby". www.itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "South Africa claim the celebratory sevens title". The Rugby paper. 2 April 2023.
- ^ "Junior Boks call up Mlaba as injury replacement". SA Rugby. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ Byron, George (11 May 2025). "Junior All Blacks retain title after thrilling win over Boks". The Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "Baby Boks lose to New Zealand to finish third in junior Rugby Championship in Gqeberha". The Mercury. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "DHL WP U21 claim back-to-back titles". WP Rugby. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "Wandile Mlaba – EPCR profile". EPCR Rugby. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
External links
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