The Sharks have announced that experienced Springboks speedster Makazole Mapimpi has agreed terms on a contract extension which will keep him with the Durban-based outfit for the next two years.

The 34-year-old won back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles with the Springboks – in Japan in 2019 and France in 2023 – and became the first South African to score a try in the global showpiece’s final when the Boks beat England in Yokohama six years ago.

Mapimpi started his senior career with the Border Bulldogs in 2016 before having brief stint with the Southern Kings and Cheetahs in Super Rugby and the PRO14 competitions.

Prolific try-scorer

He joined the Sharks in 2018 and has already scored 37 tries in 80 appearances for them.

Despite his advancing years, Mapimpi is still a valued member of the Springboks squad and he has already scored 32 tries in 46 appearances in green and gold which makes him the Springboks’ most prolific try-scorers with a strike rate of 70 percent.

After making his Test debut against Wales in Washington D.C. in 2018, Mapimpi established himself in the Springboks’ first choice line-up and finished their 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign with six tries scored in the tournament.

However, his participation at the Boks’ victorious 2023 campaign was cut short when he fractured his cheekbone during a pool match against Tonga in Marseille.

He is also a vital cog in the Sharks machine and crossed the whitewash during their victory over Gloucester in last year’s Challenge Cup final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell is delighted that Mapimpi will extend his stay with the club.

“The old stalwart, Makazole Mapimpi. I think also a guy that came from the Cheetahs actually, into the Sharks team, and became a Springbok out of the Sharks Rugby Union,” he said.

“(He is) somebody that will give you 100% effort, 100% of the time. So (it’s) really great that we’ve managed to secure his services for the next few years.”

Sharks defence coach coach Joey Mangalo revealed that the men from Durban have invested in Mapimpi’s experience to mentor the rising stars in their squad.

‘Like fine wine’

“He is truly like fine wine. The older he gets, or I’d say rather the wiser he gets, the better rugby player he becomes,” he explained.

“And such a massive influence on the whole environment. The young players like Litelihle Bester and guys like Hakeem Kunene, all these outside backs are learning massive lessons from a guy like that.

“So it’s massive for the union to be retaining his services, not only for who he is as a man, as a player, but also what he’s doing for the next tier of our outside backs.”

Powell echoed Mangalo’s sentiments and praised Mapimpi for the work he does with the Sharks’ younger players.

“He’s really a leader behind the scenes,” he said. “I think he helps the junior players a lot, especially in that back three, the wings and the full-backs.”