DUANE VERMEULEN was ready to hang up his boots in 2021. The Boks No 8 had targeted the Lions series as his swansong, before an ankle injury crushed a childhood dream to face the famous tourists.
Apart from that one regret, he was ready to say goodbye. Having won the World Cup and Rugby Championship, the then 35-year-old had nothing left to prove. But as he headed for the exit, he found his way blocked by the men who had kick-started his pro career some 15 years earlier.
“Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber asked me to stay on until 2023,” he says. “I live for my rugby – it’s who I am – and I have a burning passion for the Boks. So naturally, I accepted their offer.
“Covid also played a role in my decision. We had a lot of time off after the 2019 World Cup, and a lot of time to rest our bodies.
“The negative is that we lost match sharpness. It took a while to get that back. So while I accepted the offer, I made it clear I didn’t want them to carry me if I wasn’t pulling my weight.”
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