![]()
Mbanda in 2017
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full name | Mata Maxime Mbanda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | (1993-04-10) 10 April 1993 (age 31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Mata Maxime Esuite Mbanda Cavaliere OMRI (born 10 April 1993) is an Italian international rugby union player. His usual position is as a flanker, and he currently plays for Colorno. Known for his ball carrying and athleticism.[1]
For 2015–16 Pro12 season, he named as Permit Player for ZebreinPro 14.[2]
In 2013 Mbanda was named in the Italy Under 20 squad and in 2014 and 2015 he was also named to the Emerging Italy squad.[3][4]
In 2016, from Calvisano, he signed for ZebreinPro 14. He played for Italian team until 2021–22 United Rugby Championship season.[5][6][7] After a string of favourable performances, the No. 8, was selected to represent, the Italian national team in a test-match in San Jose, California, during Summer International tests against the United States. Italy won with a result of 24 to 20.[8] Since then Mbanda has been a regular in the Italian national side, featuring in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, in Japan.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11]