Leinster vs Ulster

“I needed something new, a new
environment, a new challenge, a new
stimulus,” he recalls.
“Back then, the European games weren’t
as often televised in South Africa as they
are now. Leinster was still a mystery to me.
“It was a big learning curve for me as a
player and as a man. You come from a
South African environment where it is all
about ‘harder and more’ to Leinster where
it is about, ‘less, smarter and how can we
be better?’
“You are talking about systems-versusindividuals.
When it comes to the
environment, I started feeling a love for
Leinster, how they develop their players,
how they improve them.
“For example, a lot of the Leinster boys
I saw beating the Bulls in the URC in
September were in the Academy and
Sub-Academy when I was there.
“Everything Leo (Cullen) and Stuart
(Lancaster) said would happen in
meetings, it happened year-on-year.
They had faith in the players they were
building.
“The difference is in man management
and the ability to understand how
to make each and every player feel
important. Everyone there holds the pride
of the badge to their chest. There is that
brotherhood, a feeling of going the extra
mile for each other.
“When Stuart came to Leinster, I enjoyed
the language he spoke, the detail he
brought, the clarity, how smart they are
about everything they do.
“I have so much respect for those people
and that environment. World-class. Worldclass.”
Now, his main goal in life is to take what
he has learned from what he has seen
and apply it back home.
“I have always had a dream to get back
to and give back to the place I come
from. I realised the best way to do this
was by setting up a foundation ‘Bookz
and Bootz.’
“I want to take my platform and use
it to impact the communities around
where I am, from a sports development
perspective.
“I want them to understand the mental
toughness you need to be an athlete and
use that resilience in your daily life.
“When you see where I come from, the
challenges are in your face on a daily
basis. It is a 24/7 decision-making
process that kids have to go through.
“While I was playing rugby, I held out
great hope that progress had been made
at home.
64 | www.leinsterrugby.ie