The Kings flyhalf shares a few of his favourite pastimes and adventures away from the game.
DREAM CARS
2020 Bentley Bentayga
‘I started driving SUVs recently so I had hearts in my eyes when I saw the Bentley Bentayga. It is beautiful and looks like an amazing car.’
BMW 1 Series
‘I love this car so much. I’ve driven one in the past.’
An SL Class Mercedes-Benz
‘I’d love to own one of those vintage SL Mercedes. I can’t explain why, but for some reason I love it.’
BEST BOOKS
Change your thoughts, change your life [By Wayne Dyer]
‘It is the best book I’ve ever read.’
Scar Tissue [By Anthony Kiedis]
‘This was probably the most compelling autobiography I’ve read. He writes openly about his struggle with drug addiction, the overdose death of his band mate and how he believes his band Red Hot Chili Peppers influenced a whole generation of musicians. He is not a typical rock star and this is not a typical autobiography.’
The Monk who sold his Ferrari [By Robin Sharma]
‘As far as motivational books go, this one is top shelf.’
FAVOURITE MUSICIANS/BANDS
Frank Ocean
‘I like flow of his music, it like almost takes me to another world.’
Kendrick Lamar
‘I just love his lyrics and the way he raps. I’ve been to a few of his concerts and he is so talented. When he is on a stage, he captures his audiences.’
Red Hot Chili Peppers
’When I’m in the mood to listen to something other than hip-hop, I listen to them. They’re a
favourite band.’
BEST CITIES VISITED
Cape Town, South Africa
‘I was fortunate to live in Cape Town for almost five years and I can safely say it is the best city in South Africa.’
Barcelona, Spain
‘Barcelona is so nice because you get the good food, a cool city and a beautiful beach all in one. The thing for me, though, is probably the city centre where you get a nice vibe, meet cool people and go to great shops.’
Limassol, Cyprus
‘Limassol is the most peaceful and tranquil city I’ve been to. I haven’t experienced that sort of calmness anywhere else in the world. The weather is always great and the beach life is on point.’
FAVOURITE DRINKS
Red wine
‘It’s a drink I’ve learned to appreciate over time. I wouldn’t have said red wine if I was a couple of years younger.’
Whiskey
‘I don’t get hangovers from drinking whiskey.’
Orange juice
‘It’s nice and fresh and healthy.’
TOP SPORTING MOMENTS WATCHED AS A FAN
The 1995 World Cup final
‘I was very young, but I remember it distinctly. I was at the stadium to watch it live and it remains one of my favourite childhood memories. The atmosphere, seeing Nelson Mandela, the plane, the drop goal and the win … everything was just so amazing.’
The 2007 World Cup final
‘Watching what was arguably the greatest Springbok team in history win the World Cup has to be right up there for any South African sports fan.’
The 2004 European Championship
‘Hosts Portugal were favoured to win the final, but they lost 1-0 to Greece. It’s worth remember that Greece were playing in the European Championship for only the second time. There’s nothing better in sport than a fairytale underdog story.’
OTHER POSSIBLE CAREERS
Soccer player
‘I loved soccer and played until I was about 18. If I hadn’t played rugby, I definitely would have tried to make it in soccer.’
Psychologist
‘I love psychology and philosophy. I would have liked to become a psychologist. ’
A coach
‘I love working with and mentoring kids, so possibly a soccer or a rugby coach.’
FAVOURITE DOCUMENTARIES/SERIES
Entourage
‘It reminded a little bit of my friends and myself and how we interact with each other. The humor they use is similar to ours and our personalities.’
Diego Maradona
‘The new Diego Maradona documentary is amazing. It celebrates his career, but also highlights his more controversial moments and his life after the game.’
Next in fashion
‘I just finished watching the series. It’s a fashion design competition posted by Tan France and Alexa Chung. I love fashion and this show kept me up to date with the latest trends.’
FAVOURITE SPORTS TEAMS OR ATHLETES
The Chicago Bulls
‘I like the Chicago Bulls because I loved Michael Jordan. I still support the Bulls and I still match my outfits with Jordan sneakers.’
Arsenal
‘I love Arsenal. That’s all I’ve got to say on that.’
Novak Djokovic
‘The best tennis player at the moment with a fair shot of becoming the greatest ever.’
BEST ROOMMATES
Nic Groom
‘He was my roommate for so long and he is one of my best friends now. It was like rooming with my brother. He loves chocolate and would always bring a lot to the room. I enjoyed it with him, even though he ate like 90% of it. At least I got 10% for which I’m grateful for because it could’ve been nothing.’
Marcel Brache
‘One of the kindest people I’ve met and also a close friend of mine. I was ecstatic when he made his Test debut for the USA in 2016. I was at Montpellier at the time and I told my teammates all about ‘my boy’ getting the chance to play internationally.’
Paul Lasike
‘He is a New Zealand-born USA Test player. We roomed together when I played for Harlequins and because we had a mutual friend, Marcel Brache, we often hung out together. He is a very good singer and guitarist.’
FUNNIEST ON-FIELD MOMENT
‘There was a time when I was trying to kick the ball to the corner and the referee was in the way and I kicked it straight into his face. They stopped the game so he could receive treatment. The ref wasn’t having a great game so I was pretty amused and chuffed with myself, as were my teammates.’