John Mametsa
Encyclopedia
John Mgwensi Mametsa is a South Africa
n rugby union player, the first black South African to have appeared in 100 Currie Cup games.
Starting as a junior with the Gauteng
franchise the Vodacom Blue Bulls
in 2001, Mametsa has since appeared for the Bulls in the Vodacom Cup
, the Currie Cup
, and the Super 14
series, usually on the wing
.
Making his Currie Cup debut in 2002, Mametsa was named Currie Cup player of the year in 2003. During his 100th game against the Lions at Ellis Park Stadium on 21 June 2008, he scored three tries for the Bulls, and went on to score the most tries (7) by any Bulls player that year. He was part of the Blue Bulls team that won the Currie Cup in 2003 and 2004, and that shared the trophy with the Vodacom Cheetahs
in 2006.
In 2008 he made his debut in the Super 14
series, winning 3 caps
, having previously played in the 2004 Super 12 competition.
On 18 October 2008, one week prior to the Absa Currie Cup final in which he was to play on the losing side against the Natal Sharks, Mametsa was assaulted by traffic police and arrested for seven hours. Mametsa had intervened on behalf of team-mate Fudge Mabeta, an occasional lock for the Bulls, who had allegedly reversed his car into a traffic official’s vehicle. All charges against Mametsa were withdrawn in the Hatfield Community Court on 2 June 2009.
By 30 July 2009 Mametsa had played 120 games for the Bulls in the Currie Cup competition, scoring 320 points. His 64 career tries placed him third on the list of all-time tries scored by Blue Bulls players, and he is 12th on the Bulls' list of most career matches.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n rugby union player, the first black South African to have appeared in 100 Currie Cup games.
Starting as a junior with the Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
franchise the Vodacom Blue Bulls
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
in 2001, Mametsa has since appeared for the Bulls in the Vodacom Cup
Vodacom Cup
The Vodacom Cup is an annual rugby union competition in South Africa which is contested between February and May. The cup is the third most prestigious competition in rugby union in South Africa, behind Super Rugby and the Currie Cup. It runs at roughly the same time as Super Rugby and serves as an...
, the Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
, and the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
series, usually on the wing
Rugby union positions
In the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
.
Making his Currie Cup debut in 2002, Mametsa was named Currie Cup player of the year in 2003. During his 100th game against the Lions at Ellis Park Stadium on 21 June 2008, he scored three tries for the Bulls, and went on to score the most tries (7) by any Bulls player that year. He was part of the Blue Bulls team that won the Currie Cup in 2003 and 2004, and that shared the trophy with the Vodacom Cheetahs
Free State Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in...
in 2006.
In 2008 he made his debut in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
series, winning 3 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
, having previously played in the 2004 Super 12 competition.
On 18 October 2008, one week prior to the Absa Currie Cup final in which he was to play on the losing side against the Natal Sharks, Mametsa was assaulted by traffic police and arrested for seven hours. Mametsa had intervened on behalf of team-mate Fudge Mabeta, an occasional lock for the Bulls, who had allegedly reversed his car into a traffic official’s vehicle. All charges against Mametsa were withdrawn in the Hatfield Community Court on 2 June 2009.
By 30 July 2009 Mametsa had played 120 games for the Bulls in the Currie Cup competition, scoring 320 points. His 64 career tries placed him third on the list of all-time tries scored by Blue Bulls players, and he is 12th on the Bulls' list of most career matches.