In just five months since its launch, the Makazole Mapimpi Foundation has already made strides in developing future rugby stars, with two U16 players earning sports bursaries to top rugby schools.
Luthando Marangxa and Sive Stamper, from Tsholomnqa and Mthiza high schools respectively, are part of the first group of 31 boys from under-resourced schools across the Border region scouted to join the MMF U16 team in June.
Led by former SA-A and EP Kings player, Ntando Kebe, internationally accredited coach Lwazi Zangqa, and University of Fort Hare head of rugby, Chase Morison, the programme provides top-level coaching, conditioning, development, and mentorship — equipping young athletes with the skills found in elite rugby schools.
The two boys’ hard work paid off when they represented Border at the 2024 iQhawe Week, where they impressed scouts, with Luthando earning a sports bursary from Jeppe Boys High in Johannesburg and Sive a bursary from Westville Boys High in Durban.
At the launch of the programme earlier this year, the foundation’s director, Mbasa Ntsinde, said the goal was to ensure talented players were provided with a pathway to develop their rugby skills, while also supporting their academic advancement.
School and club sport has significantly dwindled in under-resourced areas across Border due to vandalism and theft of sports facilities, impacting the calibre and diversity of players ascending through the Border Rugby Union ranks.
The foundation is working with boys from these areas from U15 level, to help reverse this.
MMF administrative co-ordinator, Chumani Madyosi, said: “Having players selected for Border iQhawe and then scouted for bursaries so early in the inaugural year of the MMF U16 programme is a testament to its quality.
“These scholarships offer boys the incredible opportunity to play for top schools in the country, work towards possibly playing professional rugby and securing bursaries to attend university.
“Our partnership with Fitness First gives boys exposure to top-notch facilities for conditioning, which gives them the physical foundation they need to compete at the highest levels.
“We want to start working with boys from as young as U15 so they are in the programme longer and exit with a clear path towards progressing in their rugby careers and academics.”
Zangqa and Morison praised the partnership between the foundation and Mercedes-Benz, which has helped provide quality coaching and crucial exposure for talented players.
Luthando’s mother, Zamikhaya, said: “I’m proud of him and his hard work.
“My hope is for him to respect his teachers, succeed in school, and fulfil his dream of playing rugby for the Springboks one day.”
Sive’s father, Lebuwang, said the scholarship was “a dream come true,” as it offered the quality education he always wanted for his son but could not afford.
