A trailblazer, a groundbreaker, and now an international club rugby player.
The South Coast’s very own Sheppie High old boy, Lwazi Ngcungama is living his dream, playing Federal 2 Championship Rugby in France.
Originally from Gcilima, Ngcungama was named the first black captain for the UKZN Impi in 2014, where he led his chargers to the final, narrowly losing to current Varsity Cup juggernauts, CUT Ixias.
However, Ngcungama and his Impi chargers would redeem themselves the following year by winning the tournament, which also saw him being named player of the tournament.
“After playing Varsity rugby, I left the country to experience rugby abroad on a SARU exchange programme, in England to be exact. I was at a club called Kirkby Lonsdale which is in the Lake District, north of England just two to three hours away from Scotland,” Ngcungama said.
After spending just over a year in England, Ngcungama returned to South African shores in mid-2016 where he played for Durban based club, College Rovers and winning the league that year earning the team a spot in the SARU Gold Cup.
It was after winning the club rugby league that a move to Paris became a reality for Ngcunama.
“I received a call from the recruiter, a guy that had seen me play in England. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I really enjoyed being in Europe, so I decided to move there,” he said.
Having been based in France for five years now, Ngcungama currently plays 8th man for Saint Denis Rugby Club.
Training has been going on for a while now under strict rules and regulations, in preparation for the upcoming season, with the team having last played their last official game in December last year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“Covid has hit us quite a bit because it has disrupted our season. We will be starting our preseason camp in June/July, with the season starting again in August, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on the park,” said a rejuvenated Ngcungama.
Although his games may not be televised internationally, Ngcungama did confirm that all those who wish to watch his matches could be able to do so, depending on who they are playing.
“Our matches aren’t always broadcast, but there are games that are live online or live on Facebook depending on the team we are playing,”
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