Zintle Mpupha

Zintle Mpupha is a South African women’s rugby union player and cricketer from Xesi, Eastern Cape, South Africa. She played cricket for Border cricket team and rugby for Border Bulldogs as well as the South Africa women’s national rugby sevens team as a fly half.

Mpupha played rugby for Border Bulldogs. In 2013 she was first called up to the South Africa national women’s rugby sevens team. However, due to studying for a degree at the University of Fort Hare, she stopped playing rugby sevens and started playing rugby union while at university. In 2016, after graduating, Mpupha returned to the South Africa rugby sevens team. In 2017, she was offered a professional contract with the South Africa women’s national rugby sevens team. This meant that she had to move to Stellenbosch, Western Cape to train with the team which meant she was unable to continue playing for either the Border cricket or rugby teams.

In 2021 she became the first South African to play in the Premier 15s after she signed with Exeter Chiefs Women.