Zeenat Simjee: The Dietitian Behind Two Springbok World Cup Wins
The South African sports dietitian worked with the Springboks through two Rugby World Cup-winning campaigns before moving into private nutrition and workplace wellness work.
Introduction
Zeenat Simjee is a South African registered dietitian known for her work in elite rugby. She joined the Springbok setup in 2019 and became the team’s first full-time dietitian.
Her work happened mostly away from the cameras. Still, it covered a big part of player preparation: meals, recovery, hydration, travel nutrition and individual food plans.
She worked with South African rugby during the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup wins in 2019 and 2023. Her professional website lists her SA Rugby period as 2019 to 2025.
Short Answer: Who Is Zeenat Simjee?
Zeenat Simjee is a South African registered dietitian and former Springbok team dietitian. She joined the national rugby setup in 2019 and worked during South Africa’s 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning campaigns. Her professional website lists her SA Rugby tenure as 2019–2025. She now works in private sports nutrition and workplace wellness.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Zeenat Simjee |
| Profession | Registered Dietitian |
| Main Field | Sports and performance nutrition |
| Known For | Former Springbok dietitian |
| Education | BSc Dietetics, Stellenbosch University |
| Graduation Year | 2013 |
| Further Study | Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Nutrition |
| Institution | International Olympic Committee |
| Diploma Completed | 2017 |
| Joined Springbok Setup | May 2019 |
| SA Rugby Period | 2019–2025 |
| Rugby World Cups | 2019 and 2023 |
| Current Work | Private nutrition practice and workplace wellness |
Why Is Zeenat Simjee Famous?
Zeenat Simjee is mainly known for her work with the South African national rugby setup.
She joined the Springboks in May 2019. Reporting at the time described her as the team’s first full-time dietitian.
That role put her inside one of the most successful periods in Springbok rugby.
She worked during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and remained part of the national setup when South Africa defended the title in France in 2023.
Her job wasn’t about playing.
It was about preparation.
Players needed food plans that worked around training, recovery, travel, match days and individual physical needs.
How Zeenat Simjee Became a Dietitian
Her interest in dietetics started before university.
In a public interview, she explained that she once wanted to shadow a cardiothoracic surgeon. The surgeon suggested that she spend time with a hospital dietitian instead.
That experience changed her direction.
She began looking at dietetics as a possible career and later studied the subject formally.
Sport was already part of her interests, so sports nutrition became a natural area for her work.
Education at Stellenbosch University
Simjee studied at Stellenbosch University.
She completed a BSc in Dietetics in 2013.
Her university years also brought her closer to sport.
Students had opportunities to work around athletes through programmes connected with Stellenbosch. Rugby became a stronger part of her professional interest during this period.
She later continued her studies.
In 2017, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Nutrition through the International Olympic Committee.
Her research work focused on adolescent rugby.
That gave her a stronger base for working with athletes at different stages of development.
Joining the Springboks in 2019
Working in South African rugby had been one of her career goals.
In May 2019, she joined the Springbok setup as its first full-time dietitian.
The timing was huge.
South Africa was preparing for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Her work included much more than simply choosing healthy food.
A sports dietitian working with a touring rugby team may need to deal with hotel menus, training meals, recovery food, hydration, player consultations and changing food options across different countries.
Travel makes things harder.
Teams spend weeks away from home. Training times change. Sleep patterns change. Local food changes too.
The nutrition plan still has to work.
Zeenat Simjee at the 2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup became one of the first major assignments of her Springbok career.
She worked with hotels and food staff during the tournament in Japan so player meals could fit team requirements.
There was still room for local food.
That mattered because a tournament can last many weeks. Players need good nutrition, but food also has to remain realistic and enjoyable.
South Africa reached the final against England.
The Springboks won 32–12.
Simjee finished her first year inside the national setup as part of a World Cup-winning support team.
Her Sports Nutrition Approach
Simjee has spoken publicly about taking a realistic approach to athlete nutrition.
The aim isn’t simply to ban foods.
Players need eating habits that work over long periods.
Training load matters.
Recovery matters.
Body composition can matter too.
And each athlete can be different.
One player may need more energy. Another may be recovering from injury. Someone else may need to adjust food intake around a different training schedule.
Same squad.
Different plan.
That is why individual nutrition work forms such a big part of elite sport.
Work Across SA Rugby
Her work wasn’t limited to the senior men’s Springbok team.
Her professional profile says she worked across several parts of the SA Rugby system.
This included younger players, senior national teams, men’s and women’s rugby and the National Referee Panel.
During the COVID-19 period, SA Rugby also published information showing her involvement in nutrition guidance for referees.
Normal training had stopped.
Gyms closed.
People trained at home.
Activity levels changed, so food habits also needed attention.
Her work helped address that side of performance.
The 2021 British & Irish Lions Series
Her professional record also lists the 2021 British & Irish Lions Series among her major assignments.
The series took place in South Africa during a difficult period for international sport because of COVID-related restrictions.
She also appeared on the official SA Rugby Podcast in 2021.
The discussion covered topics such as rugby nutrition, training meals, game-day food and common eating mistakes.
That gave supporters a rare look at what nutrition staff do behind the team.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup
Simjee was officially listed among Springbok management for the 2023 Rugby World Cup as the team’s dietitian.
South Africa went through several very close knockout matches.
The Springboks beat France by one point in the quarter-final.
They beat England by one point in the semi-final.
Then they beat New Zealand by one point in the final.
South Africa became world champions again.
For Simjee, the tournament added a second World Cup-winning campaign to her SA Rugby career.
What Did Zeenat Simjee Do for the Springboks?
Her role dealt with the food and nutrition side of elite rugby performance.
Areas connected with sports dietetics include:
- Match-day meals
- Recovery food
- Hydration
- Travel nutrition
- Training-day eating
- Supplement planning
- Body composition
- Injury recovery
- Player consultations
- Hotel and catering menus
- Nutrition education
Travel can make these jobs harder.
Players may cross several time zones before a Test match.
Sleep changes.
Appetite can shift.
Meal timing has to fit flights, arrival times, training and match preparation.
Simjee has discussed these areas in later interviews about World Cup meal planning and long-haul travel.
Her Work With Women’s Rugby
Her SA Rugby work also extended into women’s rugby.
Her professional site refers to work connected with women’s high-performance preparation, sevens rugby and World Cup planning.
This shows that her job reached beyond the senior men’s squad.
Sports nutrition matters at every level.
Young players need it.
Women’s teams need it.
Developing athletes need it too.
Simjee has publicly spoken about wanting more sports organisations to include dietitians in athlete development.
The Elton Jantjies Reports
Simjee received much wider media attention in September 2022 after reports alleged that she had been involved in a relationship with Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies.
SA Rugby sent both back to South Africa while the Springboks were touring Argentina.
But SA Rugby said no team protocols had been breached.
Simjee disputed the reports.
She said she had not been at the guesthouses mentioned in the original allegations.
Jantjies also said at that point that Simjee was a friend and denied that she was the woman who had been with him at those locations.
Later media reports carried conflicting claims.
Because of that, the alleged relationship should not be treated as an established fact.
Rassie Erasmus later said Simjee’s return to South Africa had not been a punishment.
She returned to Springbok duties and was officially listed with the team during the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Is Zeenat Simjee Still the Springboks’ Dietitian?
No.
Her professional website lists her period with SA Rugby as 2019 to 2025.
As of September 2026, her professional work is centred on her own nutrition practice rather than a permanent role with the Springboks.
She now works with athletes, teams, individual clients and businesses.
What Is Zeenat Simjee Doing Now?
Simjee now works in private nutrition and workplace wellness.
Her services include:
- Sports nutrition consultations
- Athlete and team work
- Individual nutrition services
- Workplace wellness
- Injury and rehabilitation nutrition
- Body-composition work
- Group sessions
- Workshops
She has also continued appearing in podcasts and professional discussions.
Topics have included sleep, caffeine, energy, travel, athlete meals and everyday eating habits.
Her work now reaches beyond professional rugby.
Why Her Springbok Career Stands Out
Sports fans often see coaches and players.
They don’t always see the wider team.
Dietitians work behind that public side of sport.
Meals have to be planned.
Players need recovery food.
Travel has to be handled.
Injured players may need different nutrition.
Match days need their own plan.
Simjee’s years with South African rugby offer a good example of that work.
She entered the Springbok setup in 2019 and remained there through a period that included two World Cup titles.
That’s the part of her public story that deserves the most attention.
Final Thought
Zeenat Simjee built her professional name behind the scenes.
No tries.
No tackles.
Her work was food, recovery and performance.
She joined the Springboks in 2019 and worked inside South African rugby through two World Cup-winning campaigns.
Her SA Rugby period ended in 2025 according to her professional website.
She now works through her own nutrition practice, helping athletes, teams, individual clients and workplaces.
For readers searching her name, that is the clearest answer: Zeenat Simjee is a South African sports dietitian best known for her years with the Springboks and her work during their 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup wins.
FAQs
Who is Zeenat Simjee?
Zeenat Simjee is a South African registered dietitian known for her former work with the Springboks.
Why is Zeenat Simjee famous?
She is best known for becoming the Springboks’ first full-time dietitian and working during the team’s 2019 and 2023 World Cup-winning campaigns.
What does Zeenat Simjee do?
She works in sports nutrition, individual nutrition services and workplace wellness.
When did Zeenat Simjee join the Springboks?
She joined the Springbok setup in May 2019.
Is Zeenat Simjee still the Springboks’ dietitian?
No. Her professional website lists her SA Rugby period as 2019–2025.
Where did Zeenat Simjee study?
She completed a BSc in Dietetics at Stellenbosch University in 2013.
What sports nutrition qualification does she have?
She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Nutrition through the International Olympic Committee in 2017.
Did Zeenat Simjee work at the 2019 Rugby World Cup?
Yes. She worked with the Springboks during their 2019 World Cup-winning campaign in Japan.
Did Zeenat Simjee work at the 2023 Rugby World Cup?
Yes. She was officially listed as part of Springbok management during the 2023 tournament in France.
Did Zeenat Simjee have a relationship with Elton Jantjies?
Reports made that allegation in 2022, but Simjee disputed it. SA Rugby said no team protocol had been breached, so the allegation should not be stated as established fact.
