Lukhanyo Am

Lukhanyo Am is one of the most respected outside centres of his generation, a double Rugby World Cup winner with South Africa. Born on 28 November 1993, he rose from the Border Bulldogs in East London, via the Southern Kings, to become a mainstay of the Sharks, whom he captained and served with distinction from 2016 to 2025. In November 2025 he embarked on a new chapter, joining Mitsubishi DynaBoars in Japan's League One. Am's international record is exceptional. He was a key figure in the Springboks' 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph — his perfectly timed pass setting up Makazole Mapimpi's iconic try in the final — and was part of the squad that retained the title in 2023. Capped more than 40 times for South Africa, he is celebrated for his defensive intelligence, his reading of the game and the subtle distribution that repeatedly unlocks defences. A centre who influences matches through anticipation rather than brute force, Am marshals the midfield with calm authority and has long been regarded as a standard-setter for those around him — a reputation he now carries into Japanese rugby.