Trevor Ntando Nyakane (born 4 May 1989) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship and also the South Africa national rugby team, His regular playing position is prop and he has the ability to play at both loosehead and tighthead.[1]

Trevor Nyakane
Nyakane in 2017
Full nameTrevor Ntando Nyakane
Date of birth (1989-05-04) 4 May 1989 (age 35)
Place of birthBushbuckridge, South Africa
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight121 kg (267 lb; 19 st 1 lb)
SchoolHoërskool Ben Vorster
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Current team Sharks
Youth career
2005–2007 Limpopo Blue Bulls
2008–2010 Free State Cheetahs
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011–2012 CUT Ixias ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010–2014 Free State Cheetahs 38 (10)
2011 Emerging Cheetahs 1 (0)
2011Griffons 1 (0)
2012–2014 Cheetahs 42 (15)
2015–2021 Bulls 82 (0)
2018–2021 Blue Bulls 10 (0)
2022-2024 Racing 92 57 (10)
2024- Sharks 6 ()
Correct as of 9 August 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007 S.A. Schools Academy
2013–present South Africa 64 (5)
2015 Springboks 1 (0)
2016 Springbok XV 1 (0)
2017 South Africa A 2 (0)
Correct as of 9 August 2022
Medal record
Men's Rugby 15's
Representing  South Africa
Rugby World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2015 England Squad
Gold medal – first place 2019 Japan Squad
Gold medal – first place 2023 France Squad

School career

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Nyakane attended school in Limpopo top rugby school Ben Vorster where he played for the first team for two years. He was chosen to represent Limpopo at the Grant Khomo, and Craven Weeks tournaments in 2006 and 2007.

Career

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Nyakane currently represents the Sharks. He has amassed more than 50 senior appearances in all senior competitions.[2][3][4]

He attended his primary school in laerskool Gravelotte in Limpopo.

International

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Nyakane was first named in the Springbok squad ahead of the 2013 mid-year rugby union tests.[5]

He made his international debut on 8 June as a 73rd minute replacement for Tendai Mtawarira in South Africa's 44-10 victory over Italy in Durban.[6] On 22 June 2013 he scored his first test try, against Samoa, in Pretoria. With South Africa already leading 49-23, Nyakane's 80th minute score completed a comprehensive victory.[7]

Nyakane was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[8] However he had to withdraw through injury in the pool stage and was replaced by Thomas du Toit.[9] South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating England in the final.[10]

Nyakane was included in the South Africa A team to face the British and Irish Lions as a warm up match. The Team was Captained by Lukhanyo Am and had other members of the 2019 World Cup winning side. The match was an exhibition match that didn't count towards a Test cap, but was won by the South African A side.

Nyakane started at tighthead prop for the opening test of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. Injury to Ox Nché in that first test led Nyakane to switch roles to become the replacement loosehead prop for the subsequent two tests of the series. Despite not having played at loosehead prop for the Springboks since 2016, Nyakane's scrummaging earned the Springboks a number of crucial scrum penalties in the later half of the remaining games which saw the South Africans winning the series.[11]

Nyakane was also part of the Bomb Squad in the 2019 World Cup based on the 6/2 split of the bench and in 2023 was also an inaugural member of the Nuke Squad based on a 7/1 split of the bench when the Springboks gave the All Blacks their worst loss in modern day rugby history 35-7 at Twickenham, just before the 2023 World Cup. The test was billed as Qatar Airways Cup

Trevor played a number of matches in the 2023 Rugby World Cup as well as the final.

Honours

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Springbok statistics

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Test Match Record

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As of 8 October 2021
Against P W D L Tri Pts %Won
  Argentina 9 8 0 1 0 0 88.89
  Australia 7 2 2 3 0 0 42.86
 British and Irish Lions 3 2 0 1 0 0 66.67
  England 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
  France 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
  Georgia 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
  Ireland 3 1 0 2 0 0 33.33
  Italy 4 3 0 1 0 0 75
  Japan 2 1 0 1 0 0 50
  New Zealand 10 2 1 7 0 0 25
  Samoa 2 2 0 0 1 5 100
  Scotland 3 3 0 0 0 0 100
  United States 1 1 0 0 0 0 100
  Wales 4 1 0 3 0 0 25
Total 51 29 3 19 1 5 59.8

Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, Tri = Tries Scored, Pts = Points Scored

International Tries

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Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result
1   Samoa Pretoria, South Africa Loftus Versfeld Mid-year rugby test series 22 June 2013 Won 56–23

References

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  1. ^ "Cheetahs revamp front row for Crusaders". Rugby Heaven. Fairfax NZ News. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  2. ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Trevor Nyakane(". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Trevor Nyakane itsrugby.co.uk Player Statistics". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Established Springboks to continue careers with Blue Bulls" (Press release). Bulls. 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  5. ^ "New faces in Springbok squad". Sport 24. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  6. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 44–10 Italy". South African Rugby Union. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  7. ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa 56–23 Samoa". South African Rugby Union. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  8. ^ "South Africa World Cup squad: Siya Kolisi wins fitness battle, Eben Etzebeth backed, Aphiwe Dyantyi dropped". Independent. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Springboks call in replacement as injury rules Trevor Nyakane out of World Cup". rugbypass.com. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  10. ^ "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Deon Davids hails 'champion' Trevor Nyakane, says Ox Nche back in training". News24. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
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