Five Things to Know About Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is being hailed as the next Springbok prodigy. Here are five interesting facts about this rising star.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has enjoyed a meteoric rise since becoming an integral member of the Springbok squad this year, and he looks certain to play a key role for the remainder of the season.
As the profile of this rising star continues to soar, here are five facts to know about Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu: The Springboks’ Raw Gem
Fast Facts
- Sacha, born in 2002, is the son of Nick Feinberg and Makhosazana Mngomezulu, who met in 2000 after Nick emigrated from England to South Africa in 1994.
- His rugby talent was recognized from a young age, with Sacha featuring at various levels from Grant Khomo Week, Craven Week, SA Schools, SA 7’s (under-18 team), Western Province, Stormers, and now the Springboks.
- Sacha has always been a talented all-round sportsman, having played soccer for the South African Ajax squad, as well as first-team cricket before switching his focus to rugby when he was 15.
- Sacha’s grandfather, Barry Feinberg, was an anti-apartheid activist who fled to England after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, dreaming of a brighter future for South Africa.
- Feinberg-Mngomezulu became the 43rd Diocesan College (Bishops) old boy to don the green and gold jersey, and he has already scored 17 points to date.
Big Season Ahead
Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be part of the Rugby Championship squad assembling in Johannesburg for a short preparation camp before departing for Australia on Wednesday, 31 July.
The Springboks will face Australia in Brisbane and Perth on 10 and 17 August, respectively, before returning to South Africa to play back-to-back matches against New Zealand on Saturday, 31 August in Johannesburg, and 7 September in Cape Town. They will then take a short trip to Argentina to face Los Pumas in Santiago on Saturday, 21 September, before wrapping up the tournament in Nelspruit against Argentina on Saturday, 28 September.
The team will then travel to the UK for their traditional northern hemisphere tour in November where they will line up against Scotland (10 November), England (16 November) and Wales in Cardiff (23 November).
The year-end tour will be preceded by a one-week training camp in Jersey – one of the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France – where the team will have the luxury of acclimatising to the conditions, while at the same time focusing on their conditioning and preparation for the tour.
Squad for Rugby Championship (in alphabetical order):
Forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Grobbelaar, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi (c), Elrigh Louw, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Salmaan Moerat, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Manie Libbok, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams.
