The former Bok wing shares a few of his favourite pastimes and adventures away from the game.
BEST BOOKS
BIBLE
‘Haven’t finished every chapter yet, but I enjoy reading my Bible on a regular basis.’
LONG WALK TO FREEDOM [NELSON MANDELA]
‘It’s one of the best books I’ve read. It was a real eye-opener on what exactly he went through and sacrificed for the people of this country. I had my copy signed by the great man himself.’
THE CLIMB [CHRIS FROOME]
‘Chris Froome’s autobiography details how he grew up in Kenya before making his way to the UK and becoming one of the greatest cyclists of our time. It’s a beautiful story.’
FAVOURITE MUSICIANS/BANDS
EARTH, WIND & FIRE
‘Growing up in the 80s, this was my favourite band. People on the farm listen to their music all the time and that was how I was introduced to them.’
THE BEE GEES
‘They produced the kind of music that most people could relate to and appreciate. I have some good childhood memories of dancing to the Bee Gees. They were special.’
MICHAEL JACKSON
‘What an entertainer! I was lucky enough to go to his show way back when he came to Cape Town and I’ve never seen any artist capture an audience like he did that day. It was pure musical theatre.’
BEST CITIES VISITED
NEW YORK, USA
‘I’ve always wanted to go to the Big Apple. And after going there, I can confirm it truly is the city that never sleeps. It was the most amazing trip I’ve ever had.’
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
‘“Brisvegas”, as they call it, is just a beautiful and lovely city. The weather is fantastic and the night life is pretty good too.’
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
‘The people of Argentina are just so passionate. When they do something, they go all out and give 100%. Whenever I’m in Buenos Aires, I’m fascinated by how they operate on a daily basis.’
GREATEST DAYS OF HIS LIFE
PASSING MATRIC
‘It was my ticket to a better life, having grown up while sometimes not knowing where the next meal would come from. The day I got my matric results was one of the highlights of my life.’
DEBUT FOR MATIES U19A
‘At the time I didn’t know that moment would set me on the path to becoming a professional sportsman.’
BOK DEBUT
‘Scoring a hat-trick on debut against Italy made me feel like I belonged in the Springbok team and on the international stage.’
FAVOURITE DRINKS
COFFEE
‘Coffee makes the world go round; it definitely always puts me in a better mood. I grew up with moer coffee on the farm. It’s a traditional homemade brew and it tastes amazing.’
WATER
‘It’s healthy and refreshing.’
COKE
‘The best beverage in the cool-drink business.’
TOP SPORTING MOMENTS AS A FAN
SIPHIWE TSHABALALA’S OPENING GOAL AT THE 2010 SOCCER WORLD CUP
‘When the ball flew past the keeper and the commentator shouted, “Goal, Bafana Banana! Goal for South Africa! Goal for all Africa,” I had tears in my eyes. It was a glorious moment.’
2017 SOWETO DERBY FOR THE CARLING CUP
‘I was at the FNB Stadium for this match and just so happy that Chiefs got the win. Sadly, that doesn’t happen very often these days.’
SPRINGBOKS BEATING THE ALL BLACKS 36-34 in 2018
‘This was an emotional match and the perfect result for all South Africans after they humbled us 57-0 the previous year. The fight and determination in defence to deny the All Blacks at the end was amazing.’
OTHER POSSIBLE CAREERS
TEACHER
‘Because teachers have, or use to have, a sense of authority, I thought it would be very cool to be an educator one day.’
POLICEMAN
‘Most boys played cops and robbers when they were kids and it was during one of those play sessions that I decided I wanted to be a police officer. I changed mind my when I hit my teens.’
TRACTOR DRIVER
‘As kids on the farm, we idolised the tractor drivers. My grandpa and uncles were all tractor drivers and they were my heroes.’
PEOPLE HE’D LIKE TO MEET
NELSON MANDELA
‘I just wanted to shake the hand of the man who played the most significant role in ending apartheid and bringing about democracy in our country. Fortunately for me, I got my wish before he passed away.’
BARACK OBAMA
‘Who wouldn’t want to meet Obama? Just listening to him speak about anything, even the mundane topics, would get me excited.’
LEWIS HAMILTON
‘I’m not a big F1 fan, but it would be cool to chat to Lewis over a nice cup of tea about his domination of the sport.’
ALL-TIME GREATEST ATHLETES
TIGER WOODS
‘Tiger is the best golfer ever. He is ridiculously good.’
JONAH LOMU
‘They say he was rugby’s first superstar and he was that in every sense of the word. People wanted to be like Lomu so much that even his unique hairstyle was copied all over the world; that’s how special he was.’
DIEGO MARADONA
‘The greatest footballer of all time. Unlike Messi, who I love, Maradona has performed at every level when he played.’
NON-RUGBY SPORTS TEAMS
FC BARCELONA
‘I’ve always been a big fan of Spanish football and Barca play with such flair and finesse that it is impossible for me to support any other La Liga team.’
TEAM SKY
‘They’ve dominated the Tour de France the last decade or so. They work well as a team and that is why they win.’
TEAM EUROPE IN THE LAVER CUP
‘Two warriors, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, in the same team and on the same side of the net in a doubles match? Yes, please! Watching them cheer each other on as teammates despite their rivalry was quite simply wonderful.’
*This piece first appeared in the September issue of SA Rugby magazine
