Masixole Banda
Birth date11 June 1988 (age 38)
Birth placePort Elizabeth, South Africa
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight69 kg (152 lb; 10 st 12 lb)
SchoolIthembelihle High School, New Brighton
UniversityUniversity of Fort Hare
PositionFullback
Fly-Half
Youthyears 12009
Youthyears 22010–2011
Years 12014
Apps 15
Points 121
Years 22014–2016
Apps 246
Points 2343
Years 32017–2020
Apps 353
Points 3170
Years 42020–2022
Apps 47
Points 45
Years 52022–
Apps 58
Points 567
Amatyears 12012
Amatapps 16
Amatpoints 159
Amatyears 22013
Amatteam 2African Bombers
Amatapps 24
Amatpoints 20
Clubupdate10 July 2022

Masixole 'Coyi' Banda (born 11 June 1988) is a South African rugby union player for the in the Pro14.[1] He can play as a fly-half, winger or fullback.

Career

Youth and amateur rugby

Banda played his school rugby at Ithembelihle High School, New Brighton until 2010 under the tutelage of Theo Pieterse,[2] who guided the school to being named the School Team of the Year in 2012.[3]

Banda was also named in the squad for the 2009 Under-19 Provincial Championship competition and played for them at Under-21 level during the 2010 and 2011 Under-21 Provincial Championship seasons, making six starts. He was also included in an side that played against the South Africa Under-20 side in 2011,[4] scoring eleven points in a 31–16 defeat.[5]

Banda then joined club side African Bombers. In 2012, Banda started six matches for the in the 2012 Varsity Shield competition[6] – being named the Player that Rocks in their match against [7] – and in 2013, he played for the Bombers in the 2013 SARU Community Cup competition, starting in four of their matches in the competition.

Eastern Province Kings

In 2014, the announced that several club players would join their wider training squad for the 2014 Vodacom Cup. Banda was included in the training squad and was subsequently included in their squad for the tournament.[8]

Banda made his first class debut against the in Grahamstown and scored two first-half tries on debut to help the Kings to a 60–6 against their Eastern Cape rivals.[9]

After making five appearances in the Vodacom Cup competition, however, he was dropped for disciplinary reasons after he played in matches for club side African Bombers and not showing up for training sessions.[10]

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ "Homegrown Hero 2013". Sport Elizabeth. August 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  3. ^ "EP Rugby congratulates Ithembelihle High School". Eastern Province Rugby Union. 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Baby Boks Venture into Eastern Province". MyPE : Community News from Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  5. ^ "Baby Boks down EP Kings". Sport24. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  6. ^
  7. ^ "UFH vs UWC – Masixole Banda". Varsity Cup. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  8. ^
  9. ^
  10. ^ "EP drop Banda over club games". Herald. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.