Laureus Comeback of the Year winner Schalk Burger is on the cover of the latest SA Rugby magazine.
Having suffered a life-threatening bout of bacterial meningitis, Burger beat the odds to return to rugby as an influential force.
'There were times when I felt like stopping, but I could literally feel myself slipping away and would have to fight again,' he tells SA Rugby magazine.
Burger goes on to explain how his brush with death has changed his priorities, how his gradual return to rugby took place, how he felt the night before his comeback match against Free State, and his 2015 World Cup ambitions.
He also talks about his remaining years in rugby and what he plans to do after rugby.
Also in the new issue:
– Where are the 1995 Springboks now? We find out what all 28 squad members have done since winning the World Cup 20 years ago
– 2007 World Cup-winning captain John Smit chats to 1995 World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar about getting the best out of his players, why the tournament was so special, and the Madiba effect
– Pieter Hendriks’ try in the opening match of the 1995 World Cup gave the Springboks the belief they could win the tournament
– In the fourth instalment of a series on Springbok coaches, we look at Kitch Christie’s stint that culminated in the 1995 World Cup win
– The rugby world gasped in awe as Jonah Lomu was unleashed on the global stage in 1995
– Jonathan Kaplan on why the standard of officiating has been so poor and why the system of appointing and managing referees needs to change
– JP Pietersen has had a big role to play on and off the field for the struggling Sharks this season
– Jan Serfontein has transitioned from promising rookie to marked man. How he negotiates this challenge will determine his future
– Lions loose forward Warwick Tecklenburg has come a long way since leaving the Bulls
– Durbanville-Bellville were the 20th-ranked club going into the Community Cup, yet went on to lift the trophy
– Shimlas lifted the Varsity Cup for the first time, under new coach Franco Smith
– We pick a Saffas in France XV based on players' club form in April
– Bakkies Botha capped off a glittering career by claiming a third European title with Toulon
