Nqubeko Zulu
Full nameNqubeko Sithembiso Zulu
Date of birth (1987-07-25) 25 July 1987
Place of birthDurban, South Africa
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Weight112 kg (17 st 9 lb; 247 lb)
SchoolParktown Boys' High School, Parktown, Johannesburg
UniversitySharks Academy /
University of Pretoria
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Current team Wanderers / Blue Bulls
Youth career
2005 Golden Lions
2006–2007 Sharks
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2012 UP Tuks 11 (0)
2015 Wanderers 4 (0)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2008–2009 Sharks (Currie Cup) 6 (0)
2012 Pumas 12 (5)
2013 Blue Bulls 4 (0)
2015 Blue Bulls 5 (0)
Correct as of 24 May 2015

Nqubeko Sithembiso Zulu (born 25 July 1987) is a South African professional rugby union player, who plays for the Wanderers and the Blue Bulls.[1] His regular position is lock.

Career

Youth / Golden Lions

Zulu was born in Durban, Zulu grew up in Johannesburg. He went to Parktown Boys' High School and in 2005, he earned a call-up to the Golden Lions squad that won the unofficial final of the Under-18 Craven Week competition held in Bloemfontein.[2]

Sharks

After graduating high school, he returned to Durban to join the Sharks Academy, where he represented the Sharks U19 side in the 2006 Under-19 Provincial Championship and the Sharks U21 side in the 2007 Under-21 Provincial Championship.

Zulu was included in the Sharks' Vodacom Cup team – then called the Natal Wildebeest – for the 2008 Vodacom Cup competition and he made his first class debut in their match against the Leopards in Pietermaritzburg, coming on in the 56th minute in a 32–37 loss.[3] He also featured in their quarter-final match against Western Province, which they lost 14–22 to be eliminated from the competition.[4]

Zulu once again played in the 2009 Vodacom Cup, with the team now called Sharks XV. He made four appearances off the bench during a regular season that saw the side win all six of their matches. He did not feature in the play-offs of the competition and, although he featured in a compulsory friendly match prior to the 2009 Currie Cup Premier Division against the Pumas in Witbank,[5] was not named in any further Sharks squads.

UP Tuks

In 2011, he was a member of the UP Tuks squad that played in the 2011 Varsity Cup competition. He started all nine of their matches in the competition as they made it all the way to the final, only to lose 16–26 to UCT Ikey Tigers in Pretoria.[6] He played more rugby with them in the Carlton League for the remainder of 2011 and returned for the 2012 Varsity Cup, but due to injury he made only two appearances in their final two matches in the regular season.

Pumas

In 2012, he was included in the Pumas squad prior to the 2012 Currie Cup First Division competition.[7] He made his Pumas – and Currie Cup – debut in their 51–18 victory over the Border Bulldogs in East London in Round Five of the competition.[8] He made his first start for the Pumas (and his first start in any first class match) the following week against the Eastern Province Kings in a match that ended in a 30–30 draw.[9] After three more appearances off the bench, he again started their match against the SWD Eagles in Nelspruit and scored his first senior try in a 70–27 win.[10] One more start and three appearances as a replacement followed for the remainder of the regular season as the Pumas finished second on the log. Zulu came on as a substitute in their 37–30 semi-final victory against the Griffons,[11] as well as in the final against the Eastern Province Kings, which the Pumas narrowly lost 25–26 in Port Elizabeth.[12]

Blue Bulls / Wanderers

Zulu was included in the Blue Bulls squad for the 2013 Vodacom Cup and made four appearances as a replacement during the regular season of the competition, helping them to wins in each of those four matches, including a 110–0 victory over competition newcomers Limpopo Blue Bulls in Lephalale.[13]

In 2014, he joined Wanderers,[14] helping them to second position in the 2014 Golden Lions Pirates Grand Challenge to qualify to the 2015 SARU Community Cup. He started all four appearances of their matches in the pool stages, helping Wanderers to two wins, one draw and one defeat to qualify for the semi-finals.

Zulu was recalled to the Blue Bulls squad for the 2015 Vodacom Cup competition and made a substitute appearance in their match against the Pumas.[15] After another appearance of the bench in their 40–21 victory over the Griffons,[16] he made his first start of the competition in their 83–13 victory over the Limpopo Blue Bulls,[17] helping the Blue Bulls to finish in second position on the Northern Section log to qualify for the title play-offs. He started their 44–21 victory over the Free State Cheetahs in the quarter-final[18] and in their semi-final match against Western Province, which the Blue Bulls lost 6–10 to be eliminated from the competition.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Nqubeko Zulu". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Leeus wil teen OP hardloop" (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 16 July 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Wildebeest 32–37 Platinum Leopards". South African Rugby Union. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom WP 22–14 Wildebeest". South African Rugby Union. 26 April 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Pumas 35–44 Sharks Invitational XV". South African Rugby Union. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Tuks 16–26 UCT". South African Rugby Union. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Naas versterk Pumas vir wedstryd teen Bulldogs" (in Afrikaans). Beeld. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Border Bulldogs 18–51 Ford Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  9. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Ford Pumas 30–30 Eastern Province Kings". South African Rugby Union. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Ford Pumas 70–27 SWD Eagles". South African Rugby Union. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  11. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Ford Pumas 37–30 Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province Kings 26–25 Ford Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  13. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls 0–110 Vodacom Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "Nqubeko Zulu The Wanderers". Wanderers. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 20–18 Steval Pumas". South African Rugby Union. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  16. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 40–21 Down Touch Griffons". South African Rugby Union. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  17. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 83–13 Assupol Limpopo Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Vodacom Blue Bulls 44–21 Toyota Free State XV". South African Rugby Union. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – DHL Western Province 10–6 Vodacom Blue Bulls". South African Rugby Union. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
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