Mnombo Zwelendaba: The midfield power who drove Griquas to historic 2025 Currie Cup glory

THERE are moments in a rugby season when a crowd senses something shifting. A carry bends the defensive line. A tackle stops momentum cold. A try arrives not just on time, but at the exact moment belief is needed most.

In 2025, those moments have come to define Mnombo Zwelendaba’s rise at the Suzuki Griquas.

He did not arrive in Kimberley with the noise of a superstar signing. Instead, he grew into the role, match by match, performance by performance, until his presence in the midfield became unavoidable. By the time the Currie Cup reached its climax, Zwelendaba was no longer just another name on the team sheet. He was central to the Griquas’ identity, and instrumental in delivering the franchise’s first Currie Cup title in 55 years.

Born on 21 February 2000, Zwelendaba’s rugby roots were laid at Selborne College, a production line of disciplined and physically resilient players. It was there that his natural strength, defensive instinct and eye for space began to take shape. Those qualities carried him into the Western Province youth structures and eventually senior rugby, exposing him early to elite standards and expectation.

Rugby intelligence shines through

Yet it was his move to Kimberley in 2024 that proved career defining. At 1.86 metres and 97 kilograms, Zwelendaba is built for confrontation in the midfield, but numbers alone do not explain his influence. What has set him apart is timing. When to carry hard. When to release. When to hold his width or straighten the line. It is the sort of rugby intelligence that cannot be coached overnight.

The 2025 season became his statement. As the Griquas gathered momentum, Zwelendaba emerged as a constant. He punched holes in defensive lines, shut down opposition attacks and repeatedly delivered in moments that demanded composure rather than flair. His try in the Currie Cup final was a defining image of the campaign, a moment that sealed history and ensured his name would be spoken with reverence in Griquas circles for years to come.

Individual recognition followed. Backline Player of the Year. Player of the Year. Awards that reflected not only his output, but the respect he commands within the squad. Coaches speak of his consistency. Teammates point to his calm presence and work ethic. Supporters see a player who carries the badge with pride.

Inwardly driven

Away from the spotlight, the picture is quieter. Zwelendaba is known as reserved, grounded and relentlessly driven. He spends extra hours in the gym, pushes standards at training and speaks often about the importance of team culture. During the Currie Cup run, he acknowledged the role Kimberley’s community played in driving the team forward, a connection he values deeply.

For the Griquas, his rise has symbolised more than individual success. It has represented belief. That a team long considered outsiders could stand toe to toe with the best and prevail. That history could be challenged and rewritten.

Zwelendaba has become a leader by example, a centre who blends power with intelligence, and a player who reflects the modern Griquas identity: tough, hard working and fearless. It is little wonder supporters have embraced him. He plays with intent. He plays for moments. And he plays for the team.

Still early in his professional career, Mnombo Zwelendaba’s story in Kimberley feels far from complete. But if 2025 was a beginning, it was one that announced him not just as part of the Griquas story, but as one of its authors.