But the 52 Test Springbok back row who won two European Cups with Toulon has spent the last six years of his life actively stripping his ego away.
In a previous life, this hulking man was aggression personified. Now, in the jungles of Costa Rica where he owns the healing sanctuary Rama Organica. “Big Joe” has made way for “Jungle Joe”.
“In rugby you need that ego because you have to be strong all the time,” Van Niekerk, 40, tells The Rugby Paper over a Zoom chat that meanders occasionally into Hindu mythology and challenging yoga poses.
“But when that’s gone, when it’s time to hang up the boots, it is difficult to adjust. I know a lot of players struggle with that. When your whole sense of being revolves around playing, who are you without it?”
Van Niekerk was something of a prodigy back in his native land.
He captained the South Africa U19 and U21 teams before being fast-tracked into the Springbok set-up. He made his Test debut against New Zealand in Cape Town just two months past his 21st birthday.
This story is from the October 25, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the October 25, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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