Hanyani Shimange

{{Short description|South African rugby union player}} {{Use South African English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox rugby union biography | name = Hanyani Shimange | fullname = Hanyani Masana Shimange | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|04|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Elim, [[Limpopo]], [[South Africa]] | height = {{height|m=1.78}} | weight = {{convert|104|kg|stlb lb|0|abbr=on}} | occupation = Rugby analyst for [[SuperSport (South African broadcaster)|SuperSport]] | school = [[Rondebosch Boys High School]] | university = [[University of Cape Town]] | relatives = | position = [[Hooker (rugby union)|Hooker]] | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 2000 | clubs1 = {{Rut|Natal Wildebeest}} | apps1 = 4 | points1 = 5 | years2 = 2000–2001 | clubs2 = {{Rut|Sharks (Currie Cup)|CC=y}} | apps2 = 3 | points2 = 0 | years3 = 2002–2004 | clubs3 = {{Rut|Free State Cheetahs}} | apps3 = 35 | points3 = 15 | years4 = 2003–2004 | clubs4 = {{Rut|Cats}} | apps4 = 18 | points4 = 0 | years5 = 2005–2006 | clubs5 = {{Rut|Western Province}} | apps5 = 13 | points5 = 5 | years6 = 2005–2010 | clubs6 = {{Rut|Stormers}} | apps6 = 15 | points6 = 0 | years7 = 2007 | clubs7 = {{Rut|Boland Cavaliers}} | apps7 = 0 | points7 = 0 | years8 = 2008–2010 | clubs8 = {{Rut|Western Province}} | apps8 = 27 | points8 = 5 | repyears1 = 1999 | repteam1 = South Africa Under-21 | repcaps1 = 5 | reppoints1 = | repyears2 = 2003 | repteam2 = [[South Africa A national rugby union team|South Africa 'A']] | repcaps2 = 1 | reppoints2 = | repyears3 = 2004–2006 | repteam3 = {{nrut|South Africa}} | repcaps3 = 9 | reppoints3 = 0 | repyears4 = 2013 | repteam4 = [[Bermuda national rugby union team#Bermuda International Select XV Squad|Bermuda Select XV]] | repcaps4 = | reppoints4 = }}

'''Hanyani Masana Shimange''' (born 17 April 1978) is a former professional [[rugby union]] player. His position of choice was [[Hooker (rugby union)|hooker]], but he played one game for the [[Springboks]] at [[Flanker (rugby union)|flank]].

During his career, Shimange played for the {{Rut|Sharks (Currie Cup)}}, [[Free State Cheetahs]] and [[Western Province (rugby team)|Western Province]] in the [[Currie Cup]] competition in South Africa and the [[Sharks (rugby union)|Sharks]], [[Lions (Super Rugby)|Cats]] and [[Stormers]] in the international [[Super Rugby]] competition.<ref name="SARU Player Profile Hanyani Shimange">{{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=18812 | name=Hanyani Shimange | date=30 May 2016}}</ref>

==Club rugby== Born in Elim, a small town in South Africa's [[Limpopo province]], Shimange started his rugby career at Western Province, being part of the Western Province Academy Team.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://whoswho.co.za/hanyani-shimange-6681 Hanyani Shimange | Who's Who SA]</ref> In 1999 he was picked for the South Africa u/21 team who took part in the Southern Hemisphere u/21 competition. In 2000 he moved to [[Durban]] where he was selected for the {{Rut|Natal Wildebeest}}, competing in the Vodacom Cup competition. During the same year he made his debut in the [[Currie Cup]] for the Sharks. In 2002 he moved to [[Bloemfontein]] to play for the [[Free State Cheetahs]], where he also played in the Vodacom Cup as well as the Currie Cup. As a representative of the Cheetahs he was picked for the Cats' Super Rugby team in 2003. Through 2003 and 2004 he played a total of 18 games for the Cats, often as a replacement, but failed to score any points. He was also on the bench for two more games, but did not take to the field.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://rugby.statbunker.com/players/SeasonMatches?player_id=10977&comps_type=9891232&dates=-1&comps_id=-1 Hanyani Shimange Player matches Super 15 All seasons]</ref>

Shimange played for the Free State Cheetahs and the Cats until 2004, before moving back to the Western Cape, to take up a contract with Western Province. He also played Currie Cup for Western Province until 2006. Shimange often found himself picked as a replacement and started few games. In 2007 he moved to [[Boland Cavaliers|Boland]] in the hope of getting more game-time. However he ended up playing for no South African domestic union in 2007, due to Boland laying him off in the wake of the Fidentia meltdown.<ref name=autogenerated4>[http://www.iol.co.za/sport/hanyani-shimange-the-forgotten-bok-1.572824 Hanyani Shimange - the forgotten Bok - IOL Sport | IOL.co.za]</ref><ref>[http://www.m2mevolution.com/news/2007/02/13/2334859.htm Fidentia's woes deal a blow to Boland rugby]</ref>

Shimange did however continue to be part of the Stormers' squad in the Super Rugby competition that year. He returned to Cape Town in 2008 where he started playing for Western Province in the Vodacom Cup, before playing Currie Cup rugby for them from 2009 until his retirement in 2010. In January 2010 Shimange trained with the [[Lions (Super Rugby)|Lions]] Super Rugby squad while being assessed by Lions' coach [[Dick Muir]] for a possible loan agreement with the Stormers to whom he was contracted.<ref>[http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Shimange-on-loan-to-Lions-20091230 Shimange on loan to Lions | Sport24]</ref> He did not end up playing for the Lions on loan and formed part of the Stormers squad for the [[2010 Super 14 season|2010 Super Rugby season]].

==International rugby== On [[2004 Wales rugby union tour of Argentina and South Africa|26 June 2004]], Shimange made his debut for the Springboks against [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] at [[Loftus Versfeld]] in [[Pretoria]], coming on as a replacement in the second half, replacing Victor Matfield in the 62nd minute, and playing his only test at flank.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/jun/27/rugbyunion.southafricarugbyteam?INTCMP=SRCH Rugby union: South Africa 53 - 18 Wales | Sport | The Observer]</ref> South Africa won the game 53-18. All Shimange's international caps came as a replacement. He took the field a total of 9 times from the replacement bench, but was unused on the bench for another 12 tests.<ref name="SARU Player Profile Hanyani Shimange"/> His final test for the Springboks was played on [[2006 Scotland rugby union tour of South Africa|10 June 2006]] against Scotland at [[Kings Park Stadium|Kings Park]] in Durban. South Africa won the game 36-16. He was included on the bench in subsequent tests, but was never utilised again until he was dropped from the Springbok squad in May 2007 by coach Jake White.<ref name=autogenerated4 />

Shimange was nominated for the SA Rugby Young Player of the Year award in 2002.

=== Test history === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! No. !! Opposition !! Result<br />(SA 1st) !! Position !! Tries !! Date !! Venue |- | 1. || {{ru|WAL}} || align="center"|53–18 || Replacement || || 26 Jun 2004 || [[Loftus Versfeld]], Pretoria |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 2. || {{ru|NZL}} || align="center"|40–26 || Replacement || || 14 Aug 2004 || [[Ellis Park Stadium|Ellis Park]], Johannesburg |- | 3. || {{ru|AUS}} || align="center"|23–19 || Replacement || || 21 Aug 2004 || [[Kings Park Stadium|Kings Park]], Durban |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 4. || {{ru|WAL}} || align="center"|38–36 || Replacement || || 6 Nov 2004 || [[Millennium Stadium]], Cardiff |- | 5. || {{ru|URU}} || align="center"|134–3 || Replacement || || 11 Jun 2005|| [[Basil Kenyon Stadium]], East London |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 6. || {{ru|AUS}} || align="center"|12–30 || Replacement || || 9 Jul 2005 || [[Stadium Australia]], Sydney |- | 7. || {{ru|AUS}} || align="center"|33–20 || Replacement || || 23 Jul 2005 || Ellis Park, Johannesburg |- style="background: #D0E6FF;" | 8. || {{ru|ARG}} ||align="center"| 34–23 || Replacement || || 5 Nov 2005 || [[José Amalfitani Stadium]], Buenos Aires |- | 9. || {{ru|SCO}} || align="center"|36–26 || Replacement || || 10 Jun 2006 || Kings Park, Durban |}

==Retirement== After retirement, Shimange joined South African [[Pay television|pay TV channel]] [[SuperSport (South African broadcaster)|SuperSport]]'s broadcasting team in 2011 as a rugby analyst.<ref name=autogenerated2 />

In 2013, Shimange took over the coaching of the [[University of Cape Town]]'s rugby team, the [[Ikey Tigers]], for their Super League A campaign after the departure of their head coach Kevin Foote to the [[Western Force]] following the [[2013 Varsity Rugby|2013 Varsity Cup]] season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://varsitynewspaper.co.za/sport/1556-shimange-steps-up-to-ikeys-role |title=Shimange Steps up to Ikeys Role {{!}} VARSITY Newspaper |access-date=22 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522080152/http://varsitynewspaper.co.za/sport/1556-shimange-steps-up-to-ikeys-role |archive-date=22 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As of July 2025, Shimange is vice-chairman of the Chris Burger fund, established by [[Morné du Plessis]] to raise funds for the financial support of seriously or catastrophically injured South African rugby players and to create education to reduce injuries in the sport.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fund |first=Players |date=2020-09-07 |title=BACK TO THE FUTURE - From Bok Captain to Players' Fund Chairman (Part 8/8) • Players Fund |url=https://playersfund.org.za/back-to-the-future-from-bok-captain-to-players-fund-chairman/ |access-date=2025-07-19 |website=Players Fund |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also== *[[List of South Africa national rugby union players#List|List of South Africa national rugby union players]] – Springbok no. '''761'''

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{SA Rugby Player Profile | id=18812 | name=Hanyani Shimange | date=30 May 2016}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shimange, Hanyani}} [[Category:South Africa international rugby union players]] [[Category:1978 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from the Overberg District Municipality]] [[Category:Rugby union hookers]] [[Category:Boland Cavaliers players]] [[Category:Cheetahs (rugby union) players]] [[Category:Lions (United Rugby Championship) players]] [[Category:Sharks (rugby union) players]] [[Category:Stormers players]] [[Category:Alumni of Rondebosch Boys' High School]] [[Category:Rugby union players from the Western Cape]] [[Category:21st-century South African sportsmen]]