| Date of birth | 19 March 2002 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (207 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Grey College | ||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Stellenbosch University | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Paschal Hans Uzoma Ekeji (born 19 March 2002) is a South African rugby union footballer who played as a winger for Western Province. In December 2024, he joined the NFL's International Player Pathway scheme.
He is originally from Nigeria but grew up in Bloemfontein, South Africa where he attended Grey College and played rugby union for Free State in the Craven Week. He then attended Stellenbosch University. [3] [4]
He was recruited by Western Province in 2020. [5] He played for Western Province U20 in the U20 Cup in the 2021-22 season. [6] That season, he also featured the senior Western Province side in the Toyota Challenge. [7] He went on to make his senior debut in the 2022 Currie Cup Premier Division for Western Province, making his debut against Lions in January 2022. [3] [8] However, his progress was halted by a knee ligament injury which ruled him out of action for a year. [9]
In June 2022, he attended the first NFL Africa Camp in Accra, Ghana. He was described as a "6-foot-4, 210 pounds" and a potential wide receiver who "looked the part in every way…the size, [he] was smooth in and out of his breaks and…very coachable". [10] In December 2024, he was announced as joining the NFL's International Player Pathway scheme. [11] [12] [13]
His younger brother Pretorius Ekeji is also a rugby union player. [3]