Mar 23 Ballito Umhl

Wild love
While he may be best known for his success on the rugby field, it is
his deep love for the wild and dedication to conservation that truly
drives former Western Province rugby player Joe Pietersen.
Not many things make Joe happier
than sitting around a camp fire at
night, beer in hand, reflecting on
the conservation work achieved
that day. The only thing that lights
him up more, it seems, is having his
10-year-old son, Joey, in the bush
alongside him.
Having recently closed the chapter
on his rugby career - which saw him
playing nationally and internationally
for more than 18 years - Joe, his lovely
wife Corné and little Joey have finally
put down their roots and settled on
the North Coast for good.
Joe founded his non-profit
organisation, Nkombe Rhino, 10 years
ago and has been actively involved
in on-the-ground conservation
work aimed at protecting not only
rhino, but other endangered and
threatened species since.
Through Nkombe Rhino, he works
hand-in-hand with conservation
organisations and anti-poaching
units, pooling resources and effecting
real change, most notably through
rhino dehorning projects.
A true KZN boy, Joe was born in
Zululand and spent most of his
childhood on the South Coast. He
studied at Stellenbosch University
(where he met his Free State-born
wife who was studying marketing
and event planning).
He started playing professional rugby
in his second year out of school and
played for the SA Sevens and the WP
Stormers teams. He and Corné also
lived in various countries, where he
played for clubs in France, Japan and
the USA.
Although he loves rugby, Joe says
it was always important to him to
have something else in his life other
than the game. “When you are a
professional rugby player in South
Africa, people often think that's all
you can be and all you can do. I
wanted more and, to be honest, I
really hope that I have become, or
will become, better known for my
conservation work than for my rugby
career,” he says.
He admits that rugby opened many
doors for him, exposing him to
incredible people and conservation
10 Get It • Ballito • Umdloti • Umhlanga March 2023