Maxime Mbanda
Mata Maxime Mbanda (born 10 April 1992) is an Italian rugby union player. His usual position is as a flanker, and he currently plays for Zebre.[1][2] Known for his smooth ball carrying and athleticism. He enjoys 18+ hour wintery walks with Dave McNicol and Ed .
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| Full name | Mata Maxime Mbanda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 10 April 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb; 225 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Biography
For 2015–16 Pro12 season, he named as Permit Player for Zebre in Pro 14.[3]
In 2013 Mbanda was named in the Italy Under 20 squad and in 2014 and 2015 he was also named in the Emerging Italy squad.[4][5]
After a chain of favourable performances, the No. 8 was selected to represent, for the first time, the Italian national team to a test-match in San Jose, California, in Summer International tests. Italy won with a result of 24 to 20.[6] Since then Mbanda has been a regular in the Italian national side. In particular featuring in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, in Japan.[7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Mbanda volunteered for the Yellow Cross, a humanitarian organization in Parma that transports food and medicine for the elderly.[8] On 3 June 2020 the President of Italy Sergio Mattarella named Mbanda a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for his services as a volunteer ambulance driver.[9]
References
- https://www.zebrerugbyclub.it/la-squadra/maxime-mbanda/
- https://www.zebrerugbyclub.it/la-terza-linea-delle-zebre-rugby-maxime-mbanda-scalda-i-motori/
- https://www.zebrerugbyclub.it/team/stagione-201516/
- https://www.federugby.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6980%3Airb-tblisi-cup-2014-la-rosa-che-affrontera-il-torneo&catid=328%3Aitalia-emergenti&Itemid=1034&lang=en
- https://www.federugby.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8173%3Aitalia-emerging-i-27-azzurri-per-la-tblisi-cup&catid=328%3Aitalia-emergenti&Itemid=1034&lang=en
- Palmer, Mark. "Maxime Mbanda offers sense of hope to Italy" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- https://federugby.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13753:italrugby-conor-oshea-annuncia-i-31-giocatori-convocati-per-il-mondiale&catid=252:slide&Itemid=811
- Baber, Andy (24 March 2020). "Italy flanker Mbanda on frontline in Covid-19 fight". sixnationsrugby.com. Six Nations Rugby. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- "Mbanda nominato cavaliere della Repubblica dal presidente Mattarella" [Mbanda awarded the knighthood by President Mattarella]. federugby.it (in Italian). Italian Rugby Federation. 3 June 2020. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.