THREE CHEERS: Inspirational life lessons from World Cup-winning Springboks
Hard work pays off, just ask Springbok flanker and current World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Very rarely will you see pin-ups of the workhorse in fans’ bedrooms or bars. Those spots are usually reserved for the glamour boys – the guys who score the tries and the goals.
It’s for this reason that I reckon some eyebrows were raised when Du Toit was named World Rugby Player of the Year on Sunday ahead of the more flashy Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth.
But it is richly deserved, as the 32-year-old put in shift after shift in 2024, often doing the donkey work for the Springboks and making the most number of tackles in the team for the rest of the guys to shine.
Could the award have gone to Kolbe or Etzebeth? Sure, and it would still have been a good choice. I guess the best comparison would be Rodri and Erling Haaland at Manchester City in the Premier League.
Without the Ballon d’Or winner in their squad, Haaland and his brasse have sukkeled.
Therefore, for the work-horses among us, keep grinding, you WILL reap the rewards one day. Just look at two-time World Rugby Player of the Year Du Toit.
After winning the award for a second time, Du Toit told journalists on Sunday night: “We’ve got a saying in the Springbok camp that we don’t count the days, we make the days count.
“I’ve been part of the Springbok team for quite a while now, and the life lessons I’ve learnt there is quite vital, not just in sport, but in life as well…”
Copy and paste ladies and gents, copy and paste.
PS: all three of those guys who were nominated for the award alongside Ireland’s Caelan Doris are from Cape Town, so hats off to the Mother City for producing three of the four best rugby players on the planet in 2024.
Staying innie Kaap, my prayers go out to Springbok and Stormers prop Steven Kitshoff.
When images surfaced online following his neck surgery last week, I immediately realised how big this operation this was.
One online post – which was later removed – seemingly quoted a family member saying doctors told Kitshoff that he won’t be able to play rugby again. But I loved the fighting spirit Kitshoff showed when he later posted a message to fans on Instagram saying the operation was a success and that it will be a long journey to recovery.
He said: “Thrilled to share that my operation was a big success!
“A massive thank you to my incredible doctors and nurses for their amazing care, and to all my family, friends, and loyal supporters –your support means the world to me!
“It’s going to be a long recovery journey, but I’m excited for the future ahead.
“Please trust me for updates on my progress and don’t believe any other sources. Here’s to healing!”
There we go, speak life in every situation, even if the odds are stacked against you. Thanks for that reminder Kitsie and here’s to praying for a miracle recovery.
Staying in the Stormers camp and what a pity it was to learn that Herschel Jantjies is on his way to France.
I followed Jantjies’s career from his days as a scrumhalf at my former alma mater UWC.
What I liked about him is that he “came from the club scene” – those who know what I mean will have an appreciation for it.
Jantjies is such a humble guy that he deserved everything he achieved in the Mother City and I wholeheartedly agree with coach John Dobson who said in his Dear John to Jantjies: “Herschel’s story is an inspirational one and we are immensely proud of what he has achieved here with us.
“We wish him all the best in France as he takes up a deal that will change things drastically for him and his young family…”
Of leaving Cape Town, Jantjies added: “This is a life-changing opportunity for me and my family. The Stormers mean so much to me and the people of the region and I would not be in this position if it were not for the important role my coaches and teammates have played in my development as a player and a person.
““I will always be a Stormers fan and want to thank all involved for the incredible years I have spent here playing the game that I love.”
Jantjies is living proof dat aanhouer wen and is the embodiment of the motto at uDubs – at least during my time in the early 2000s – Never Quit!
After winning the World Cup with the Springboks in 2019, he said on the Dan Nicholl show: “Everyone see the glamorous side of things; becoming a Springbok and winning the World Cup. If you can get yourself to falling in love with the process of getting there, I think you can achieve anything.
“A few years ago I was at Western Province and I trained for that entire year and I only got to play about 30 minutes in that year…”
There you have it ladies and gentlemen, work hard like Pieter-Steph du Toit does – the reward will come, keep believing like Steven Kitshoff does – even when the odds are against you – and keep knocking on the door like Herschel Jantjies did – it has to open iewers langs die pad.
Good luck and blessings…