THE DRIVE,THE GRIT AND THE DETERMINATION OF STEFAN TERBLANCHE

Most athletes peak on the pitch, this SA rugby great is proof that with the right foundation you can find your zenith at any point in life (even as you prepare to enter your fifties).

- KIERAN LEGG

FORGE REAL STRENGTH IN YOUR 50s

Stefan Terblanche 

48 YEARS OLD

EX-SPRINGBOK RUGBY PLAYER, WORLD CUP JUDICIAL PANEL MEMBER, FITNESS INFLUENCER, DAD

Transitioning from a packed rugby calendar to ordinary life can be a culture shock for most sports stars. Regimented training sessions, weekly tests and sole focus on the sport are replaced by one terrifying question: "Now what?"

Stefan Terblanche, 48, was faced with this conundrum after pushing his rugby career to the limits, still securing starting spots and winning matches in his forties. With 41 caps (including 37 test matches) playing for the Springboks, and dominant performances for the Boland Cavaliers, Ospreys, Ulster and Sharks, he had every reason to take his foot off the brakes and enjoy an early retirement. But Terblanche didn't want the work to stop: there was still room for improvement. He admits unlike his contemporaries at the time-who were blessed with natural athletic prowess-he wasn't as fortuitous. His feats of strength, agility and strategy were the result of painstaking labour, putting in hard graft during training sessions, supplementary workouts and then some. I really had to work hard, and that stood me in good stead for life after rugby. Even training sessions on Christmas, much to my mom's horror." he says. "Physically it was fine, but mentally it was a whole other story."

Like a superhero forced to walk among mere mortals, adjusting to everyday life was packed with challenges. While those days following the sunset of his career had its hurdles, training was a lifeline.

"It gave me purpose, and I used it to keep my head in the right space and find my feet again," he says.