ON FIRE

Photos: BackpagePix By: HERMAN GIBBS

It has been a long road from Khayelitsha to Tel Aviv for speedy winger Xolisa Guma

XOLISA Guma’s life ambition has been to ease the plight of his family living in Khayelitsha.

It has been his source of motivation ever since leaving the Western Cape to take up a scholarship at Maritzburg College, after being spotted while playing for Boland in the Grant Khomo u-16 Week.

Now 24, the speedy winger is certainly well on his way after securing a career breakthrough move to Israeli franchise, the Tel Aviv Heat, to play in the newly-formed European Super Cup.

“This honestly means the world to me and my family to sign for this organisation. It answered prayers for me when coach Kevin made an offer for me to sign for the Tel Aviv Heat, the timing was perfect and I simply could not turn it down.

“It’s a very exciting project and I am looking forward to being coached by great coaches Kevin and Demetri. I can not wait to meet all the boys who have signed for the team. I promise to work hard and score some tries. I just thank God for this opportunity,” he said.

Guma’s rugby journey has seen him turn out for the Sharks Academy, Tuks University where he shone in the Varsity Cup, and also the Blue Bulls in Pretoria.

But he now calls Tel Aviv home, with the Heat having strong South African, in particular Western Cape, ties as the team is coached by Kevin Musikanth, formerly of the University of Cape Town. His assistant is Demetri Catrakilis, the former Ikeys, Western Province, Stormers and Southern Kings flyhalf.

Musikanth speaks highly of Guma, who enjoys nothing short of cult-hero status in his hometown of Khayelitsha.

Everything Xolisa Guma achieves in the game of rugby is to improve his loving family’s well-being.

“Xolisa comes highly rated with exceptional references from his coaches, like Frankie Horne [SA Rugby 7s coach] and John Mitchell [former Lions, Bulls coach]. Both rate Xolisa highly and tip him to go all the way,” said Musikanth.

“We look forward to unlocking his unique potential and energy during the journey of the Tel Aviv Heat.”

Guma celebrates a try with his Tuks teammate Dewald Naude in the 2019 Varsity Cup final against Maties.

Guma says he’s tried to model his game on Sharks flyer Makazole Mapimpi, who was one of the Springbok heroes of the 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph in Japan.

The youngster has plenty in common with Mapimpi, who hails from a similar disadvantaged background in Eastern Cape, and if he is able to blaze away at the Heat, Guma may soon be playing alongside his hero.

The flying Guma was a try-scoring machine for KwaZulu-Natal back at Craven Week in 2015.