The Blitzbok on his favourite albums, books, TV series, people he would like to meet, and more.

FAVOURITE ALBUMS

Hybrid Theory Linkin Park
‘At 14, I was going through one of those teenage stages and the words of this album just felt relevant.’

Come Around Sundown Kings of Leon
‘This album is different from their other work, but still thoroughly enjoyable.’

The Chronic 2001 Dr Dre
‘This was the first CD I bought. I was really into hip-hop and Dr Dre is iconic.’

FAVOURITE BOOKS

Shantaram Gregory David Roberts
‘Everyone should read this book at least once. It’s a brilliant piece of literature.’

Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell
‘I love this book because it’s such a scarily accurate depiction of the future.’

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Robin Sharma
‘This is a Zen-like book. It makes you think about how you live your life, including your daily routines and habits.’

PEOPLE HE WOULD LIKE TO MEET

Elon Musk
‘A true visionary. I’d love to pick his mind on where he thinks the world will be in 20 years.’

Will Smith
‘He owns every role he plays in, nothing is done half-heartedly.’

Ellen Degeneres
‘I like her infectious good nature and admire her for constantly wanting to stimulate change for equality.’

FAVOURITE SONGS

‘Mr Jones’ Counting Crows
‘It’s mine and [wife] Tarryn’s song.’

‘Ride with Me’ Nelly
‘This song provides me with unending happiness.’

‘Wonderwall’ Oasis
‘It never gets old.’

FAVOURITE CITIES VISITED

New York
‘I’m addicted to the energy this city holds. It feels like there are unlimited opportunities.’

Hong Kong
‘It’s a business hive, and is all about adventure, coffee and electronics. What’s not to like?’

Hoi An
‘I love Hoi An because of its calmness. It’s a quiet town with amazing beaches where I can breathe and think.’

FAVOURITE BANDS

Mumford & Sons
‘I love the country vibes in their music and the variety of tempo.’

Kings of Leon
‘They have a good old-school rock ’n’ roll flavour about them.’

aKing
‘I haven’t looked back since being introduced to this amazing South African band.’

FAVOURITE NON-RUGBY HEROES

My wife, Tarryn
‘For the person she is and the way she raises our little boy, Ethan.’

Dwayne Johnson
‘He has immense enthusiasm and passion for what he does.’

Warren Buffett
‘An unemotional and logical character and I think that is what made him so successful.’

FAVOURITE MOVIES

Bad Boys
‘Will Smith and Martin Lawrence might be the greatest combination on screen.’

American Pie 2
‘It came out in 2001 when I was 14. There were so many lessons I learned from this movie.’

Inception
‘It has a completely mind-blowing storyline, and is a wonderful way to think about the world.’

FAVOURITE NON-SEVENS RUGBY PLAYERS

Warren Whiteley
‘His strength of leadership, values and work ethic is unbelievable.’

Kieran Read
‘His consistency of performance is unrivalled. He is all class.’

Dan Biggar
‘He is all heart, with a very entertaining kicking routine.’

FAVOURITE TV SERIES

Grey’s Anatomy
‘There’s so much drama, it’s compelling viewing.’

Friends
‘This series is absolutely timeless. It feels like you can jump in on any episode and you’d be happy.’

Suits
‘It’s a high-quality storyline with high-quality actors.’