GJ VAN VELZE
THE FORMER BULLS, NORTHAMPTON, WORCESTER AND BATH BACK ROW/LOCK
The Springboks' victory had a profound impact in a country where sport significantly influences emotional well-being. Initially, cricket was my first love, and Hansie Cronje was my sports hero. However, after enrolling at Affies (Afrikaans High School for boys), I began to lean more towards rugby. My javelin coach, who was also the rugby coach, saw potential in me to play for the first team. After that, I played age-group representative rugby and captained most of the teams I participated in. Some of the most memorable games were against Grey College, even after all these years. Remarkably, we managed to defeat them five years consecutively.
I joined my childhood team, the Bulls, right after school. It was a team full of talent with a strong desire to win. In such a competitive atmosphere, my game naturally improved.
We won Currie Cup age-grade titles and the Vodacom Cup twice. However, within 18 months, I suffered three significant injuries. I broke my right thumb against the Welwitchias in Windhoek, then broke my cheekbone during a training session. After seven weeks of recovery, I broke my other thumb in a Currie Cup match against the Leopards in Potchefstroom. I decided to move because I believed it would be difficult to regain my place in the team. That's how I landed in Northampton in 2012. I joined a very settled side that was involved in four competition finals over the two years I was there. The team was full of remarkable rugby players of whom many went on to enjoy significant success in other roles.
Two days before my initial flight to join Saints, I trained in a boxing gym to get in the best possible shape.
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