Lukhanyo Am Biography

The lad that hails from King William’s Town from a soccer playing family, would later emerge as one of South Africa’s RWC heroes in 2019. A centre that is a visionary of the game that delivers bone-crushing tackles.

Lukhanyo Am was born on 28 November 1993 and brought up by his mother, Zukiswa, in Zwelitsha township where he attended Hoërskool De Vos Malan High School.

It was not ranked as a top South African rugby school, so he never played in the famous Craven Week or in any age-grade international rugby. As a youngster, Lukhanyo Am, used to peer over fences to watch elite schools play the game that enthralled him early on.

His mother tried to persuade her son to play soccer since he came from a soccer community,  but Am was always wearing green and gold colours when he was a child. Thus, started his life-long rugby love affair, initially as a lock, before moving to centre at U13 level at the Margate-based Gladiators Rugby Academy and then being picked up by the Border Bulldogs.

Lukhanyo Am spent a pre-season with Saracens as part of the South African Rugby and British High Commission Rugby Exchange Programme in 2013. When he signed for the Sharks, Am was the first player to graduate from the scheme which helped young players from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He started to make his mark with the Sharks later that year and helped the Durban outfit reach the Super Rugby quarter-finals in 2017, 2018 and 2019 before replacing Springbok legend Tendai Mtawarira as captain. 

Even after South Africa's World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi joined The Sharks from the Stormers, Lukhanyo Am held on to the role of skipper. 

Making his Test debut as a replacement against Wales in 2017, Lukhanyo Am was awarded Springbok colours despite missing part of the middle finger on his left hand. 

In 2019, he played for the original Barbarians on their 2019 tour of Europe and Brazil.

And then as a starter, in the triumphant final against England in Yokohama, Am delivered a standout performance in midfield, with his deftness of hand leading to Makazole Mapimpi’s try in the 66th minute – the first by a South African in a RWC final.

Lukhanyo Am is a true leader and talisman of the game.