Born in Empangeni in northern KwaZulu-Natal, Fezokuhle "Fez" Mbatha honed his rugby at Maritzburg College, one of the province's great rugby nurseries, before progressing through the Sharks age-group structures. His talent was recognised nationally when he served as South Africa's frontline hooker at the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championship, marking him as one of the country's most promising young front-rankers.
Mbatha made his senior Sharks debut in Super Rugby in March 2019, coming off the bench against the Bulls in Pretoria while still a teenager. Since then he has become a fixture of the Sharks system, featuring across Super Rugby, the Currie Cup and, in the URC era, pushing hard for game time in Durban's competitive hooker rotation.
His form earned a call-up to a Springbok alignment camp ahead of the 2021 British & Irish Lions series, and Sharks coaches have publicly tipped him for the top. Now in his prime years, Mbatha adds proven depth and energy to the Sharks front row for 2026/27.
