Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
The impressive rise of Kuila’s Mapaqa is nothing to sneeze at
THERE is something different about the way that Sinethemba “Snez” Mapaqa goes about his business. And it’s a good kind of different.
While his teammates are playing touch rugby before the start of a training session at Kuilsriver Rugby Club, the 26- year- old Mapaqa is doing stretches and sprints in the in- goal area.
I can’t help but shudder at the thought of having to try and tackle the hulking wing at full speed – he tells me he once clocked 10.4 seconds running the 100 metres.
Yet it’s not quite Mapaqa’s intensity and determination that sets him apart from the other players, although he probably works harder than most.
Because in over a decade of sports reporting, I can’t remember the last time I penned an article about a player like him. And it’s also not his 1.87m, 103kg Fijian- type frame.
When we eventually chat, Mapaqa tells me he only started playing rugby in 2007, and then it struck me: his approach to the game is similar to a player who has only begun to realise his true potential. He has a twinkle in his eye that suggests he is still chasing the dream.
And if that is indeed the case, those at Western Province Rugby better watch out for this flyer. Not that the union hasn’t had an eye on Mapaqa; he’s been one of the stars of the WP Emerging squad for a number of years.
But his impressive rise and continuous progress has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Born in the Eastern Cape, Mapaqa knew nothing about rugby growing up and his first sporting love was cricket.
But after a shoulder injury brought an end to his future as a fast- medium bowler, he tried something different.
“Where I live now, in Khayelitsha, I met a guy that invited me to come and watch his team, Khaya Rose, play rugby and perhaps join the club,” he said.
“But I wanted nothing to do with rugby. Only when I injured my shoulder and couldn’t play cricket anymore, I figured let’s try something new for a change.
“And when he asked me again to play for them, after two training sessions, I played my first game – as a prop!
“It was crazy, I was all over the place. I didn’t even know how to pass and who to pass to. I just knew I had to pass to the guy wearing the same jersey as I did – forward or not, I didn’t know. I knew nothing about the rules.”
After realising he had what it takes for the sport, Mapaqa switched from prop to wing.
“The next game they moved me to wing and told me just to run. I scored my first try in that match; we were in our own 22 and the flyhalf gave a grubber which I collected to score under the posts. I was impressed,” he added, with a laugh.
Mapaqa has been scoring impressive tries ever since – first for Young Ideas in Langa, then for Elsiesriver, where he played for the third, second and first teams.
He then joined Kuilsriver before representing the Limpopo Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup. A stopover at Bellville preceded his return to Kuilsriver.
“I’m done moving now, I’m looking to make a family out of all of this,” said Mapaqa, gesturing to his Kuila teammates.