Lusanda Badiyana

Badiyana was born and grew up in East London, where he also attended Cambridge High School. In 2014, he was selected to represent the East London-based {{Rut|Border Bulldogs}} at the Under-18 Academy Week in Worcester, where he made three starts to help his side to two victories at the tournament.{{SA Rugby Squad | teamid=22024 | team=Border | compid=2104 | comp=2014 U18 Academy Week | accessdate=20 December 2016}}

After school, Badiyana moved to Port Elizabeth to join the {{Rut|Eastern Province Kings}} academy. He was named the vice-captain of the {{Rut|Eastern Province U19}} squad that competed in the 2015 Under-19 Provincial Championship, leading the team on occasion when regular captain Jeremy Ward was unavailable.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=153884 | homeid=27654 | awayid=27674 | leagueid=2594 | hometeam=Eastern Province U19 | homescore=24 | awayscore=15 | awayteam=Blue Bulls U19 | matchdate=31 July 2015 | date=19 December 2016}} Badiyana missed just one match all season, starting in eleven of their twelve matches during the regular season. He was mostly used as a lock during the campaign, and he scored tries in matches against {{Rut|Golden Lions U19}},{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=146844 | homeid=27654 | awayid=27664 | leagueid=2594 | hometeam=Eastern Province U19 | homescore=28 | awayscore=19 | awayteam=Golden Lions U19 | matchdate=8 August 2015 | date=19 December 2016}} {{Rut|Sharks U19}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=146874 | homeid=27634 | awayid=27654 | leagueid=2594 | hometeam=Sharks U19 | homescore=24 | awayscore=34 | awayteam=Eastern Province U19 | matchdate=15 August 2015 | date=19 December 2016}} and {{Rut|Leopards U19}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=147604 | homeid=27654 | awayid=27684 | leagueid=2594 | hometeam=Eastern Province U19 | homescore=33 | awayscore=14 | awayteam=Leopards U19 | matchdate=26 September 2015 | date=19 December 2016}} to help his team finish top of the log, winning eleven of their twelve matches to qualify for the semi-finals.{{SA Rugby Log | id=2594 | comp=2015 Absa Under 19 Competition | date=19 December 2016}} Badiyana started their 31–15 victory over {{Rut|Free State U19}},{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=147674 | homeid=27654 | awayid=27644 | leagueid=2594 | hometeam=Eastern Province U19 | homescore=31 | awayscore=15 | awayteam=Free State U19 | matchdate=16 October 2015 | date=19 December 2016}} as well as in the final, as they beat the {{Rut|Blue Bulls U19}}s – the only team to beat them all season – 25–23 in Johannesburg{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=147694 | homeid=27654 | awayid=27674 | leagueid=2594 | hometeam=Eastern Province U19 | homescore=25 | awayscore=23 | awayteam=Blue Bulls U19 | matchdate=24 October 2015 | date=19 December 2016}} to win the Under-19 Provincial Championship for the first time in their history.{{SA Rugby Article | id=3251444 | leagueid=2594 | title=WP young guns, EP clinch junior titles | date=25 October 2015 | accessdate=11 April 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=3251444&leagueid=2594 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531072609/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=3251444&leagueid=2594 | url-status=dead | archivedate=31 May 2016}}

In March 2016, Badiyana was included in a South Africa Under-20 training squad as they prepared for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament to be held in Manchester, England.{{SA Rugby Article | id=3455814 | leagueid=2904 | title=Large group invited to Junior Springbok trials camp | date=24 March 2016 | accessdate=31 May 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=3455814&leagueid=2904 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531082024/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=3455814&leagueid=2904 | url-status=dead | archivedate=31 May 2016}} However, he failed to make the cut for a reduced provisional squad named a week later,{{SA Rugby Article | id=3466224 | leagueid=2904 | title=Theron names provisional Junior Springbok squad | date=1 April 2016 | accessdate=31 May 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=3466224&leagueid=2904 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531083247/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=3466224&leagueid=2904 | url-status=dead | archivedate=31 May 2016}} instead linking up with the {{Rut|Eastern Province Kings}} squad that participated in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series.{{cite news | url=http://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/young-kings-seek-currie-cup-crown-2004448 | title=Young Kings seek Currie Cup crown | work=IOL Sport | date=3 April 2016 | accessdate=22 December 2016}}{{SA Rugby Squad | teamid=30864 | team=EP Kings | compid=2824 | comp=2016 Currie Cup Qualifying | accessdate=20 December 2016}} He did not feature in any of their first five matches of the season, but made his first class debut by coming on as a replacement in their 10–50 defeat to {{Rut|Western Province}} on 14 May 2016.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=158464 | homeid=30724 | awayid=30864 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=DHL Western Province | homescore=50 | awayscore=10 | awayteam=EP Kings | matchdate=14 May 2016 | date=19 December 2016}} He made his first start a week later in a 15–35 defeat to a {{Rut|Free State XV}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=158534 | homeid=30864 | awayid=30764 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=EP Kings | homescore=15 | awayscore=35 | awayteam=Toyota Free State XV | matchdate=20 May 2016 | date=19 December 2016}} and remained in the squad for the remainder of the competition, making a total of seven starts and two appearances off the bench. Badiyana scored his first senior try in his sixth appearance for the Eastern Province Kings in their 12–29 defeat to {{Rut|Griquas}},{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=158944 | homeid=30864 | awayid=30774 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=EP Kings | homescore=12 | awayscore=29 | awayteam=Griquas | matchdate=2 July 2016 | date=19 December 2016}} and scored a second in their final match of the season, a 26–59 defeat to the {{Rut|Falcons}}.{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=160094 | homeid=30824 | awayid=30864 | leagueid=2824 | hometeam=Hino Valke | homescore=59 | awayscore=26 | awayteam=EP Kings | matchdate=22 July 2016 | date=19 December 2016}} Badiyana's debut season in first class rugby ended in disappointing fashion, as the team finished second-bottom on the log, with just two victories in their fourteen matches.{{SA Rugby Log | id=2824 | comp=2016 Currie Cup Qualifying | date=19 December 2016}}

At the end of the 2016 season, Badiyana reverted to the {{Rut|Eastern Province U21}} team, where he started in victories over {{Rut|Sharks U21}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=162794 | homeid=32124 | awayid=32134 | leagueid=2884 | hometeam=Sharks U21 | homescore=21 | awayscore=23 | awayteam=EP U21 | matchdate=12 August 2016 | date=19 December 2016}} and {{Rut|Free State U21}}{{SA Rugby Match Centre | id=162954 | homeid=32104 | awayid=32134 | leagueid=2884 | hometeam=Free State U21 | homescore=44 | awayscore=45 | awayteam=EP U21 | matchdate=15 September 2016 | date=19 December 2016}} in the 2016 Under-21 Provincial Championship. Eastern Province U21 won just one more match, however, and finished the season in fifth place, just missing out on the play-off semi-finals.{{SA Rugby Log | id=2884 | comp=2016 SA Rugby U21 Provincial Champs | date=19 December 2016}} After the season, Badiyana had a trial with the {{Rut|Southern Kings}} Super Rugby team{{cite news | url=http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/super-rugby/75945-journeyman-cronje-joins-kings | title=Journeyman Cronje joins Kings | work=Rugby365 | date=7 November 2016 | accessdate=22 December 2016}} and he was included in their squad for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

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Category:1996 births

Category:Living people

Category:Eastern Province Elephants players

Category:Rugby union flankers

Category:Rugby union locks

Category:Rugby union number eights

Category:Rugby union players from East London, South Africa

Category:South African rugby union players

Category:Southern Kings players

Category:21st-century South African sportsmen

Category:Xhosa people