The Springbok hooker shares a few of his favourite pastimes and adventures away from the game.

DREAM CARS

LAND ROVER DISCOVERY
‘It’s absolutely phenomenal. I love a spacious car where I can fit in my boys and all their friends.’

PORSCHE 911
‘It’s a cool-looking car and has really changed shape over the years. I drove one in the UK.’

LAND ROVER P90
‘The one with the six wheels would be fantastic to have. I think they call it the G-Wagon.’

BEST BOOKS

THE CREATURE FROM JEKYLL ISLAND [G ED GRIFFIN]
‘It’s a phenomenal book that tells us the truth about money and the world economy.’

BOUNCE [MATTEW SYED]
‘Syed delves into the ways people must look at failure. I’ve learned a lot about myself and my shortcomings from this book.’

TOO BIG TO FAIL [ANDREW ROSS SORKIN]
‘This magnificent book gives the reader an inside look into the financial crisis in the US in 2008 and a better understanding of the battle to save Wall Street. It’s a must read.’

TOP MUSICIANS

U2
‘As an impressionable kid, I loved them from the first time I heard their music.’

QUEEN
‘I was a teenager when a German exchange student to South Africa introduced me to Queen. I’m eternally thankful for that.’

FRANCOIS VAN COKE & JO BLACK
‘I’m trying to expose myself to as much Afrikaans music as I can. I’ve missed 10 years of it and I want to get used to it again.’

BEST CITIES VISITED

NEW YORK, USA
‘One of the greatest places in the world and the city that never sleeps. There’s a certain vibrancy in the Big Apple that you won’t experience anywhere else.’

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
‘Touring Prague was pretty special, because it is both ancient and modern.’

BARCELONA, SPAIN
‘Barcelona is an enchanting cosmopolitan city, rich in culture and history and a world-class drinking scene [laughs].’

TOP DRINKS

JAPANESE WHISKY
‘There’s a wide range to choose from and variety is the spice of life [laughs].’

WHITE WINE
‘As I grew up, we drank a lot of Beyerskloof white wine and it’s still a Brits family favourite.’

GIN
‘I’m getting into gin quite a bit now. If I can have tonic with any kind of South African gin, I’m pretty happy.’

GREATEST DAYS

KIDS BORN
‘My boys Christian-Robert, Hunter and Luke-James changed my life forever. Being their dad is a privilege.’

SPRINGBOK DEBUT
‘This was the pinnacle of my career in terms of emotion and the surreal feel to the whole experience.’ 

FIRST PREMIERSHIP TITLE WITH SARACENS
‘To come out on top and lift the trophy in May 2011 after a long, gruelling season was one of the best moments during my time at Saracens.’

BEST SPORTING MOMENTS

THE MASTERS, 2019
‘Tigers Woods winning the Masters again was pretty much the highlight of my life as a golf fanatic. It will be talked about years after we’re all gone.’

THE OPEN, 2010
‘Watching Louis Oosthuizen win The Open was amazing. I think I screamed the roof off.’

1995 RUGBY WORLD CUP
‘Watching the Springboks beat the mighty All Blacks at Ellis Park so soon after we became a democratic nation, was like something out of a fairytale.’

OTHER POSSIBLE CAREERS

PROFESSIONAL GOLFER
‘It would never happen, but I can keep on dreaming, right? I do have a low handicap, the lowest I’ve been is 1.2, but I’ve never been under scratch.’

ACCOUNTANCY
‘I studied accountancy at Stellenbosch University, so with that background I’d have loved to work in private equity or the banking sector.’

RACING DRIVER
‘If I had to be really crazy and whacky, being a racing driver, preferably in the F1, would be awesome.’

FAVOURITE SPORTS TEAMS

ARSENAL
‘l love them. I know they’re not great at the moment, but we’ll always have the memories of the Invincibles!’

FERRARI
‘After living through the Michael Schumacher era, how can anyone not be on Team Ferrari?’

MIAMI DOLPHINS
‘I’m a huge fan of American football and for some reason I’ve always been fixated on the Dolphins. They haven’t won the Super Bowl since 1973, but I live in hope.’

Photo: BackpagePix