Former Springbok Joe van Niekerk says he looks back on his career with no regrets regardless of any perception that he never fulfilled his potential.
In the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine, Van Niekerk opens up on his extraordinary journey from rugby player to community leader of a healing sanctuary in Costa Rica.
Big Joe: Like you’ve never seen him before
The talented loose-forward dynamo featured in 52 Tests between 2001 and 2010, while he also played for the Lions and Stormers.
The 39-year-old has now found ‘happiness and peace’ after opting to follow a completely different vocation, but in an interview with Ryan Vrede, he did look back on the ups and downs of his past career.
‘There are some things that didn’t go in the flow I hoped they would. I wanted to be part of the 2007 World Cup team but I got injured and missed out on the chance of being a world champion. At the time I didn’t realise how badly that would affect me when I retired.
‘But I’ve learned to accept there was a predetermined destiny for my life and that winning a World Cup wasn’t part of the script. So when the Boks won the World Cup in Japan, I felt nothing but joy for them and the country because my perspective had shifted. I didn’t want to waste energy on lamenting what happened to me. I wanted to celebrate the guys that got to experience that success.’
When asked how he would assess his career, Van Niekerk responded with insightful honesty: ‘From an early age people were telling me how great a player I was going to be. That conditions you to think in a certain way and set your standards accordingly. So, my expectations of myself were heightened and that created a lot of unnecessary pressure.
‘If I had to do it all over again, I’d be more careful about allowing others to control the narrative around me and my career. I was locked in a strange energy for years. I needed to let it go and when I did, I played some of the best rugby of my career. I’ve had to look at my life and heal any resentment I’ve been holding on to from my career.’
*Follow us on our new Instagram journey by clicking here
In one Instagram post from early March, Van Niekerk also touched on ‘gossip’ that caused him a lot of stress while playing for Western Province, and he didn’t shy away from addressing the subject.
‘Yeah, there was so many rumours and stories flying around for the whole time I was there. It drained the life out of me. I didn’t do myself any favours and I’m not saying I was a saint; far from it. But I felt like people didn’t care what was happening in my life at the time and how that affected me. All they cared about was trying to tarnish my name …
‘The way I dealt with gossip back then was to say, “Who are you to tell me how to live?” That was a childish reaction because deep down I knew I wasn’t living right. I wish I’d had the intellectual capacity I do have now, back then. But I didn’t, so it’s a period of my life I just have to reflect on as a lesson.’
*The full interview with Van Niekerk is available in our April of SA Rugby magazine, which is now on sale. During this period of lockdown, we hope you are able to get your hands on the latest copy, but we will continue to bring you the best possible content. You can also subscribe here
