Despite a tumultuous period in the rugby wilderness, flyhalf Inny Radebe refuses to give up on the game. In the latest SA Rugby magazine, he recounts his story with searing honesty.
Many rugby fans will remember the name Inny-Christian Radebe (previously known as Innocent Radebe). At the start of his career he was regarded by many as of one of the most promising up-and-coming black talents.
The former St Stithians College pupil took his talents to the Sharks after high school, but that would be just the beginning of a wild rollercoaster ride.
As he tells SA Rugby magazine contributor S’bu Mjikeliso in an exclusive interview, his challenges began when he suffered a serious knee injury after enjoying his first full Currie Cup season at the Sharks. It was the start of a troublesome time, marred by mismanagement and missteps.
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By the time he turned 25 this past January, he had already spent a full year out of rugby and was roaming the club scene without a professional contract. In this fascinating interview, he explains for the first time the reasoning behind the 2018 ‘sabbatical’ that he reluctantly took.
What then followed was a confusing time where mixed messages and medical issues ultimately led to Radebe finding himself ‘in limbo’ after an attempted move to join the Lions fell through.
Radebe, only in his mid-20s, has now found himself back on the Durban club rugby scene, where College Rovers have offered him a lifeline. He has made peace with the fact he may never play professional rugby again, but he is equally determined to give the game one last shot.
Get your hands on this latest issue of SA Rugby magazine, now on sale, to read Radebe’s full story and find out more about where things went wrong, as well as how the Sharks and Lions viewed the matter.
‘It’s something that needed to be said,’ Radebe reflects. ‘Not just for me but for so many players out there who are experiencing the same thing.’
New issue: Packed with exclusives
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Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
