Mpupha signs for the Chiefs
By Mark Stevens
29/9/21
Susie Appleby insists the arrival of Zintle Mphupa at Sandy Park today is not only a major boost for the Exeter Chiefs Women, but also a huge coup for the Allianz Premier 15s as a whole.
The versatile 27-year-old, who has played in seven Tests for the Springbok Women since her international debut in 2018, will become the first-ever woman from South Africa to take up a professional contract in the top-flight of the English game.
Mpupha – a former captain of the Springbok Women’s Sevens team at the Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens tournaments, also in 2018 – will hit the English club scene in scintillating form, having recently scored a record four tries in a Test when South Africa defeated Kenya in Stellenbosch in August.
Earlier in the season, she was also in fine form for her provincial side, DHL Western Province, who made the finals of the SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division.
Her arrival in Devon further enhances a star-studded Chiefs back division and gives Appleby plenty of food for thought in terms of her team selection moving forward.
“This is not just a huge signing for us, but also the English game and World Rugby as a whole,” said Appleby. “Not many South African female rugby players leave back home, but Zintle has done just that and we’re very excited about what she can bring to the team, both on and off the field.
“I have spoken to Lynne Cantwell (SA Rugby’s High Performance Manager for Women’s Rugby) – who I get on with very well – and I’ve seen a bit of footage in Zintle in action and once I knew there was a chance we could get her over here, we’ve done everything we can to make it happen.
“She can play 10, 12 or 13, has a brilliant kicking game and brings immense physicality. On top of that, though, she’s also a smart player and she will really compliment what we have going on in our backline right now.
“Having her arrive and get in with the squad, it’s all very exciting and I can’t wait to see what she will bring to the team over these coming months.”
Mpupha, who also played represented South Africa in cricket and holds a degree in Human Movement Sciences from the University of Fort Hare, was very excited about the new challenge awaiting her.
“I am honoured that Exeter think I will fit into their style of rugby very well, but ultimately, getting an opportunity to play overseas has always been one of the dreams in my rugby career, and I guess it has come now,” she said.
“I’m super excited to be the first South African to come over here and play, but I hope this is also the opening for others to come over in the future. I know I will be tested in different conditions, one of them being the weather, but that is one of the things I can't control really. I am hoping for a lot of game time as that will make me grow as a player.
“The opportunity to actually compete against the best in world, to learn and to experience how it is to play at a higher stage will aid so much to my development.”
Mpupha – who arrives from DHL Western Province – will not be lost to the Springbok Women’s team however, as her contract enables her to fulfill her national commitments, including the forthcoming November tour to Europe, and she will be available for selection to next year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
The contract underlines the growing prominence of women’s rugby in the global sporting landscape and the playing opportunities provided by SA Rugby, as Mpupha follows in the footsteps of Babalwa Latsha, who joined a club in Spain on a professional contract in 2020.
Welcoming Mpupha’s move to the Chiefs, Cantwell added: “Exeter Chiefs is big step for Zintle and helps take South African rugby another step closer to understanding and experiencing what the elite women’s game can look like.
“The women’s 15s game is growing in South Africa, with each province making ground towards a more professional set up. More competitive games and creating performance environments that support the players athletic and skills development will help accelerate standards across the 15s and 7s games.
“She is one of our role models in the women’s game and to have her recognized on a global scale is great. Her performances in England should also be a good advertisement of the talent we have here in South Africa.”