Dylan Utete
BornDylan Utete
(2000-04-24) April 24, 2000 (age 26)
Zimbabwe
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight109 kg (240 lb)
Rugby union career
Position Flanker / Number 8
Current team OKMan Rugby Club

Dylan Utete (born 24 April 2000) is a Zimbabwean international rugby union player who plays as a loose forward (specifically a blindside flanker or Number 8) for the South Korean professional team OKMan Rugby Club in the Korea Super Rugby League and the Zimbabwe national rugby union team (the Sables). Standing at 1.88 metres and weighing 109 kg, he is noted for his physical carrying style, dynamic tackle execution, and mobility around the breakdown.[1]

Club career

edit

Utete completed his early senior club development in South Africa, playing for the Cape Town-based side Villagers RFC within the highly competitive Western Province Super League A structures from 2022 to early 2025. Concurrently, he was selected to represent the Goshawks representative provincial team during regional Currie Cup first division match windows.

In March 2025, following outstanding international performances during the Africa Cup, Utete signed a professional overseas contract to move to East Asia, joining the rising South Korean championship franchise OKMan Rugby Club in the top-tier Korea Super Rugby League.[2]

International career

edit

Utete made his senior test debut for the Zimbabwe Sables during their victorious 2024 international campaign. He served as a premier loose-forward option throughout the Rugby Africa Cup tournament, playing an integral role in capturing the continental title and opening the historical qualification pathway for Zimbabwe ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup. In June 2026, he was named by Head Coach Pieter Benade to the traveling 33-man national team squad for the World Rugby Nations Cup tournament in the United States.[3]

References

edit