Tango Balekile
Date of birth | 7 March 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tango Balekile (born 7 March 1996) is a South African
His regular position is hooker.Rugby career
2012–14: Schools rugby
Balekile was born in
2015: Eastern Province Under-19
Prior to the 2015 season, Balekile moved to
2016: Eastern Province Kings, NMMU Madibaz and South Africa Under-20
At the start of 2016, Balekile played rugby for university side NMMU Madibaz in the Varsity Cup competition. He started in a close match, a 25–27 home defeat to Maties,[10] he played in two more matches as NMMU finished second-last on the log.[11]
In March 2016, he was included in a South Africa Under-20 training squad,[12] also making the cut for a reduced provisional squad named a week later.[13] In between training with the team, he returned to the Eastern Province Kings to make a single appearance for them in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series, making his first class debut in a 14–28 loss to Eastern Cape rivals the Border Bulldogs.[14] On 10 May 2016, he was included in the final South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament to be held in Manchester, England.[15] He started their opening match in Pool C of the tournament as South Africa came from behind to beat Japan 59–19,[16] and also started their next pool match as South Africa were beaten 13–19 by Argentina.[17] He dropped to the bench for their final pool match, coming on shortly after half-time as South Africa bounced back to secure a 40-31 bonus-point victory over France[18] to secure a semi-final place as the best runner-up in the competition. He was restored to the starting line-up for the semi-final, as South Africa faced three-time champions England. The hosts proving too strong for South Africa, knocking them out of the competition with a 39–17 victory.[19] Balekile was again named on the bench against, due to injury Argentina for the third-place play-off match, again coming on just after half-time as Argentina beat South Africa – as they did in the pool stages – convincingly winning 49–19[20] and in the process condemning South Africa to fourth place in the competition.
References
- ^ "SA Rugby Player Profile – Tango Balekile". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Squad – Eastern Province U19 : 2015 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Leopards U19 24–41 Eastern Province U19". South African Rugby Union. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 13–10 Western Province U19". South African Rugby Union. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 24–15 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Log – 2015 Absa Under 19 Competition". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 31–15 Free State U19". South African Rugby Union. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Eastern Province U19 25–23 Blue Bulls U19". South African Rugby Union. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "WP young guns, EP clinch junior titles". South African Rugby Union. 25 October 2015. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – FNB NMMU MADIBAZ 25–27 FNB MATIES". South African Rugby Union. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Log – 2016 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "Large group invited to Junior Springbok trials camp". South African Rugby Union. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Theron names provisional Junior Springbok squad". South African Rugby Union. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – EP Kings 14–28 Border". South African Rugby Union. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^ "Ward to lead Junior Springboks in England". South African Rugby Union. 10 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 59–19 Japan U20". South African Rugby Union. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 13–19 Argentina U20". South African Rugby Union. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – South Africa U20 40–31 France U20". South African Rugby Union. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – England U20 39–17 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
- ^ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Argentina U20 49–19 South Africa U20". South African Rugby Union. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.