It hasn’t been an easy journey for Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who has had to prove himself at every step. But now it’s paying off for the Emirates Lions prop in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
It seems ridiculous to suggest that nobody ever saw the six-foot tall 153-kilogramme Asenathi Ntlabakanye coming.
The reality is that the imposing Emirates Lions prop, who has become better with every Vodacom United Rugby Championship season, has always had to work hard to make people truly notice his potential and see beyond their immediate perception of his size.
‘A lot of people wrote me off’
“There’s always been that thing over my head of what people immediately see in me. I feel like I’ve always had to prove a point in a way and show what I’m capable of. A lot of people took one look at me and wrote me off, having seen what I look like and thought that this guy cannot play professional rugby or excel in any sort of competition. For me it was a motivator to try to work harder every season to get better, and now I’m starting to see the results of that,” says Ntlabakanye.
The 26-year-old has been fighting off the back foot for most of his life and is well used to working hard to get where he wants to be.
After losing his father when he was only four years old, Ntlabakanye was raised by his inspirational mother in Plettenberg Bay. She had to make the hard decision to send him away to school at St Stithians in Johannesburg to truly realise his potential.
‘My mother is a massive influence’
“My mother has always been, and is still, a massive influence in my life. She’s a special lady. I had school opportunities closer to home, but she made me take the opportunity in Joburg. She moved me away from my comfort zone. Most people now cannot believe that when I started school in Joburg, my English was shocking. I could speak Xhosa and Afrikaans. In Grade 8 I wanted to quit and come home. I couldn’t speak English properly, and I was in an environment surrounded by other kids with immense privilege and wealth. I felt out of my depth. I didn’t feel like I belonged,” he says.
“But then you make friendships through rugby, and you realise it’s not so bad. I used rugby as my communication tool. I learnt that rugby brings people together. It helped me bridge the two worlds. Now I’m so proud to be an Old Saints boy.”
Lions passion
Ntlabakanye feels a similar allegiance to the Lions.
“The Lions have always shown faith in me. I started talks with the Lions when I was 16. You see a lot of high school glory kids fade away after school because pro rugby demands so much discipline on a whole new level. I think the fact that I was involved with the Lions early on and went through Craven Week with them, and then also joined a few training sessions while I was in matric, made it less of a shock when I joined them fulltime.”
From those humble beginnings he reached 50 appearances for the Lions last year. This year he was invited to the Springbok alignment camp, and he’s quick to pay tribute to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship as a competition that has honed his skills against the best in the game.
Playing the world’s best in the VURC
“The level of rugby in the competition is hard. Almost every team you play against has Test players in it, so you’re constantly testing yourself against the best at international level. One weekend you’re scrumming against Scottish international Pierre Schoeman, then the next weekend you’re up against Irish international Andrew Porter, then you play the South African Derbies and you’re scrumming against the Vodacom Bulls who have probably the best scrum in the competition with Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw, or the like of Ox Nche in the Sharks. There is never a game where you think you can slack off.”
Ntlabakanye has also shown he’s far more than just his bulk as he’s put in some of the most memorable tackles in the competition, which has given him an 80% tackle success.
‘My job here is not yet complete’
“Tackling is a part of the game I really enjoy. I think the tackle I made against the Sharks’ James Venter stands out for me, because he’s an old Lions boy.”
Ntlabakanye’s passion for the Lions has seen him sign an extended contract with the team, turning down lucrative international offers.
“When I was at school, I watched the Lions as the top team in South Africa. So I don’t feel my job here is complete yet. I want to stay and help get the glory days back with the squad that we have.”
