Springbok fans will get the opportunity to grow closer to their favourite players in a new YouTube series. The series, “How rugby changed my life”, will cast current springboks in a vulnerable light over the course of five weeks. A selected group of ten players will each have a dedicated episode, where they reflect on their journey to rugby supremacy.
According to a statement released by SA Rugby, the featured players include Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, Lukhanyo Am and Handre Pollard. The ten videos are expected to be released over the course of five weeks. The statement also confirmed that the first episode, set to be released this week, will profile the rise of prop Ox Nché.
Coming Through the Bok system
The 27-year-old hails from Bloemfontein, where he spent the majority of his rugby career. He joined the Cheetahs from the University of Free State, where he played a major role in the Shimlas first Varsity Cup trophy in 2015.
Nché is a capped South African Schools player, after impressing at the 2013 edition of the under-18 Craven Week completion. Ox was also pulled into the SA Under-20 set-up for the 2015 World Rugby Under-20 Championship, where Baby Boks earned a Bronze medal.
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Ox Nché, Becoming the Bullock
“I was at soccer practice and the coach asked me, ‘why don’t you try rugby?’, so I told him straight up no, that’s too rough,” reveals Nché in the pilot episode.
Ox’s love for rugby would, however, blossom later in life.
“The bug didn’t bite initially, but Nché – who candidly says he’s always been a “chubby kid who could run a bit” – discloses that he eventually started playing rugby when they moved from Thaba ‘Nchu to Bloemfontein,” read the statement.
“The penny dropped with Nché when he started playing against boys much heavier than him: “I realised I don’t necessarily have to become big, I just had to be able to stop the big kids coming down my channel.”
Episodes will be available to watch on the Official Springbok YouTube channel.
