Big Joe’s growing pains
13 Mar 2009
Joe van Niekerk tells SA Rugby magazine how his playboy lifestyle affected his rugby career and insists he’s not the same person he was 18 months ago. But is this change we can believe in?
Eighteen months ago Joe van Niekerk couldn’t stand looking at himself in the mirror. He struggled to motivate himself to get out of bed. Until that point the narrow road had held no appeal for him. He saw no sense in self-denial and wholeheartedly embraced hedonism. No, the narrow road held no appeal. He chose the 100-lane superhighway where life moved at Mach 3 and poisonous suitors who fuelled his insatiable appetite for the high life rode shotgun, while a career that once held immense promise was relegated to the back seat, where it sat quietly, often tapping on the driver’s shoulder just to remind him it was still alive. Barely. But still alive.
Publicly he denied that his playboy lifestyle was slowly strangling his career. He steadfastly maintained that a series ofserious injuries had blunted his momentum and predicted, annually, that he would return to the form that earned him a Springbok debut at 21, that won him the SA Player of the Year award in 2002 and that commanded a nomination for the Young Player of the Year award in 2001 and 2003.
Seasons passed, but only fleetingly did that fresh-faced kid with the beatific smile, galloping stride and defence-busting explosiveness who once mesmerised highly regarded critics, surface. Instead we were routinely let down.
It was like a Cirque de Soleil production where they’d given all the eastern European super swingers, tumblers and acrobatic phenoms the night off, and instead recruited a motley crew from Boswell Wilkie. Big Joe. Bigger disappointment.
Van Niekerk is sitting in his 140m² apartment he shares with international model girlfriend Dominique Piek, in Carqueiranne, Toulon. He’s called it home since calling time on his career with the Lions and taking up a lucrative one-year deal with the Top 14 side who spend money like the stuff grows on the tree-lined streets of the the southern French city.
He tells me he’s grown up over the past 18 months. No more wild nights of excess. He acknowledges, finally, that his lifestyle was affecting his rugby. He says he knows what he wants in life and that rugby is a top priority.
I want to believe him. Really I do. But I’ve heard this rhetoric before. So I’ve grown cold to Big Joe and his empty promises – like a teenager whose formative years were spent being constantly disappointed by his father. As a means of self-preservation, I expect the worst. I’m not alone in this view, I’m sure.
Still, against my better judgement I’m drawn in. Sold to this smooth talker. I want to believe because, even though I’ve sat in the stands at countless games where Big Joe was dwarfed by players who weren’t worthy of lacing his boots, so too have I seen him captivate an audience in a manner few loose forwards have. He’s selling me the idea that he’s negotiated his troubles and will no longer be a beautiful letdown.
I want to tell a story about a teenage prodigy who was derailed but found his way back and is now poised to touch the ceiling of his potential. But there’s doubt. So I listen as Joe speaks, hoping for the dénouement, where I will be throughly convinced of authentic and lasting change.
‘I’m not the guy I was 18 months ago,’ he asserts. ‘I look back at that person and realise how many bad choices I made up to that point. I was in denial about the fact that my lifestyle was hurting my rugby. I know now that I was deluded to even think I could separate the two.
‘I hated the fact that I was criticised for what I did in my free time. My whole outlook was that this is me. This is Joe. I love partying hard. Deal with it. It was who I was and I wasn’t going to change for anybody. My way was the right way and nobody could tell me differently.
‘Life was a jol for me. Rugby almost became a sideshow. I took what I wanted from the game. It was all take, take, take. I always backed my ability and believed that I could turn it on when I needed to. That’s why it was so frustrating to hear people criticise me when I thought I was doing really well. I realise now that I was in denial, but at the time you don’t have that kind of perspective.
‘I’m sure you know what it feels like when people are constantly asking you to be something you are not. I thought that guy was me. I’m 28 now. With age comes emotional maturity and maturity brings perspective and understanding. I know now that wasn’t the real me. Perhaps I was trying to compensate for something. Perhaps I was dealing with disappointments the wrong way. I don’t know. I’m not a psychologist. But I know I’m different now.’
Right, then. There’s that rhetoric again. Pretty persuasive. It’s melted my icy exoskeleton. But why is this time different to the countless others? Van Niekerk’s response is simple, but it’s relatively convincing.
‘This time I’m doing it for Joe,’ he says. ‘In the past I did and said what I thought would make people happy. I tried to convince myself that it was what I wanted. But the reality is that it wasn’t.
‘I’ve never really been forced to sacrifice to get rewards. Things generally came pretty easily to me – I’d travel all over the world playing rugby and having a jol. Now I realise that I have to lay some things down. That’s been tough. I’m not going to lie to you and say it’s been this dramatic change overnight. Man, do you know how hard it is watching your chinas go out and party hard? Do you know how tough that is? Not to do something that’s so ingrained in rugby culture and that’s been part of you for the longest time? Ja, that’s tough hey. Some players can do it and they won’t get sucked into bad situations like I was, mixing with the wrong crowd and so on. I can’t.
‘So I still have a lekker jol, but now I’m wary of the fact that I’m vulnerable in a way some other players aren’t. So I know when to call “time”. In the past I just kept going and going. Now I’ve got to walk away when I feel close to the edge. That’s so hard, but I realise I have to sacrifice if I want the rewards.’
His lowest point came in mid-2007. The World Cup squad was announced in Cape Town. Joe van Niekerk was overlooked. He’d returned from injury to produce some outstanding performances for the Stormers. But nobody, except Joe, expected him to make the cut.
‘That hurt like you won’t believe,’ he says, his tone still laced with the deep disappointment. ‘But it was probably the catalyst I needed to pull myself together.
‘It took a long time to get over that. The Springboks are in my blood. I’ll die for that jersey and that’s why I’ll never be closed to playing for the Springboks. Maybe the choices I was making off the field don’t back that statement up. But it’s true.’
‘Do you look back now and lament your lifestyle choices and wonder where you may have been had you focused more on your rugby?’ I probe.
‘Sometimes,’ he replies. ‘As a youngster I was entrusted with a lot of leadership responsibility. I captained SA Schools, SA U19 and SA U21 and played some good rugby in that time. Then, I think the perception of me as a party boy affected my coaches’ trust in my leadership ability. I helped to create that perception though.
‘I think I would have been a very good leader of some of the sides I played in, and I think my overall game would have been at a different level than where it is now. That’s the challenge now. I’ve moved to the next level in my personal life. Now I feel my rugby is taking a step up as well.’
Van Niekerk has no more time for hypotheticals. ‘Maybe I should have grown up earlier. Maybe this. Maybe that. I can’t deal in maybes anymore. I can’t look back and wonder. I made some bad choices. I was and am never going to be clean-cut like John Smit or Victor Matfield. I admire their professionalism, but they have very different personalities to mine, and just because I don’t make the same choices they do doesn’t mean I’m any less professional.
‘This is me now. It’s a new chapter with Toulon. The fact that Tana Umaga would entrust the captaincy to me has to say something, right? This is Tana Umaga, a legend and a great judge of character. I know the only way I’ll convince people of a change is through performance. I can’t fool the rugby fraternity into thinking I’m OK. I’ve made some empty promises in the past. This time is different.’
I’m sold in my heart but my head refuses to follow suit. I can’t write the story of triumph the majority of the South African rugby fraternity want to read. I can only hope it plays out that way. Time, I settle, will judge Van Niekerk’s authenticity.
By Ryan Vrede
This article first appeared in the March issue of SA Rugby magazine. The April issue will be on sale from 18 March.
186 Comments
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13 Mar 2009, 12:51 pm
Dangerous Dragon.
13 Mar 2009, 12:54 pm
You didn’t write that yourself, Ryan…surely?
I sense a clever sub-editor knocking your drivel into something readable. Correct?
As for Joe, his demise began when he moved to the show pony capital of the world, Cape Town. All glitz, fokkol guts.
And when the meek Lions whip your sorry asses this weekened, oh how I will celebrate!!!!
13 Mar 2009, 12:54 pm
Joe made the biggest mistake moving to Cape Town. And thats coming from a stormers supporter.
13 Mar 2009, 12:57 pm
Maher, get a life. That mentality of anybody except the Stormers is old by now. Guess you’ll even support a foreign team against us.
13 Mar 2009, 13:00 pm
#4 ImAStronter:
What do you expect from an expat?
13 Mar 2009, 13:02 pm
#4 ImAStronter:
Too right. Unbelievable arrogance, with zero substance (read: this is the Stormers’ year, year after frigging year) tends to have non-Capetoniains viewing your mob with, shall we say, disdain.
Wholly justifed, you’ll doubtless agree.
And I have a life, a very good and happy one, thank you. I thank God for my good fortune on a daily basis.
13 Mar 2009, 13:03 pm
When Joe learns to be loyal to the badge on his chest then I will listen to the drivel about growing up. He uses teams for his own benefit and he needs to become a team player. That is probably why he went to Cape Town. They have some brilliant individuals, but no team.
He is so talented. I just wish that he would think about loyalty.
13 Mar 2009, 13:05 pm
#5 WP Till I Die:
For your information, I am a South African living abroad. And very comfortable with my South African-ness and where I find myself today.
There’s a big wide world out there, WP. Yes, life exists beyond the Hex River Mountains. I promise. I promise. Head out, explore, it may just dilute your parochialism and widen your world view.
13 Mar 2009, 13:11 pm
#7 Yogi:
You’re right, Yogi. Joe’s biggest life challenge is thinking beyond Joe.
I don’t think his mother makes it any easier, always looking after the best interests of her boy.
It’s sad, because he has enormous talent, could have been very, very special. I fear it’s too late to turn the tide.
13 Mar 2009, 13:12 pm
#8 Joe Maher:
Still pay tax to SARS? And are you going to vote in the upcoming elections?
13 Mar 2009, 13:15 pm
#10 WP Till I Die:
I’ll vote in the election if they allow me to. You ask the government why South Africans abroad don’t have the vote.
As for SARS…hell, 75% of the population living there don’t pay taxes, 23% fiddle their returns and two percent do the honourable thing. And I should fee guilty?
Yeah, right.
13 Mar 2009, 13:19 pm
must admit am getting slightly sick of these ridiculously crafted confessions where the player or coach seems to admit that they’ve somehow grown up or matured or had some sort of revelationary experience and seen the error of their ways, and we’re all meant to understand this.
boring, just play the game, as in anything, the more you put in and committed you are the more you get out – dont take some sort of mystical experience to understand that.
okes are constantly looking for excuses for these guys behavioir, what rubbish, they are given unbelievable talent and great lives, if they f’ck it up they only have themselves to blame, really.
13 Mar 2009, 13:20 pm
OK, so after a good year for the Stormers in 08, don’t you think we might harbour the hope of another good year and even out performing the previous one??? An example….
So after the Bulls won the Super14, weren’t they also under the impression that they would be able to repeat their results in 08???
I do agree with you about the Showponies. We do tend to play the sort of rugby which might incline that statement. We’re a bunch of individuals and not a team. Thats where I envy the Sharks and Bulls…
Our brand of rugby pisses me off though, cause it creates more heart ache than the joy the odd day when everything clicks and you see the teams potential and awesomeness…Example: That Blues game in 2004 when we smoked them in Auckland with 50 points… and the next year my darkest hour ever when the Bulls killed us 74-15. But I have to settle for it, cause I AM A Stormer. Our troubles start from WP management all the way down to the players.
Vaaaark steaks….
13 Mar 2009, 13:24 pm
#11 Joe Maher:
You can vote now. See your local store for details.
13 Mar 2009, 13:27 pm
Joe was really good for the Boks last year.
13 Mar 2009, 13:28 pm
#14 Snoek:
I’ll do just that. Thanks, Snoek.
#13 ImAStronter:
I take my hat off to you…a true supporter. Without wishing to engage in oneupmanship, I’ve been a Lions supporter since the days of Gerald Bosch and Paul Bayvel.
Your pain is but a pin-prick compared with mine.
But I remain a Lion, will go to my grave a Lion.
13 Mar 2009, 13:35 pm
#16 Joe Maher:
Hopefully by then they will start winning and give you a good send off.
Not much hope for Stormers though.
13 Mar 2009, 13:37 pm
#16 Joe Maher: And I’ve been a WP supporter since the good old days of: Calla Scholtz, Michael& Carel Dup,Faffa Knoetze, Cobus Burger, Gert Smal etc etc etc…. The heroes of yester years…
NEWay, goodluck to you and your team, however I hope mine wins…
13 Mar 2009, 13:37 pm
#16 Joe Maher:
Jissus who pissed in your beer!
13 Mar 2009, 13:38 pm
#13 ImAStronter: Very honest assessment. Respect for that.
Strange how nobody is dishing the Crusaders this year as current S14 champions. They are in a similar position than the Bulls were in 2008 – New coach, New players and injuries. Sometimes we all need to take a step back and get some perspective.
13 Mar 2009, 13:41 pm
#19 Dawn:
Ryan Vrede it seems
13 Mar 2009, 13:42 pm
#20 Die Griek: the crusaders are hondkuk this year, just like the bulls last year
13 Mar 2009, 13:47 pm
#20 Die Griek:
Perhaps because we could not give a **** when a Kiwi team performs poorly?
We are South Africans afterall – only our teams matter to us.
13 Mar 2009, 13:47 pm
#2 Joe Maher:
Your hatred for Cape Town is almost as bad as as Greatest13Gerber. It’s not the place you remember 25 years ago. Things move on. You should too. Cape Town has many ex-Joburger’s down here plus a huge amount of foreigners from all over. I think your judgmentalism about people who live in this place is rather narrow.
When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
13 Mar 2009, 13:48 pm
#19 Dawn:
Jissis, who invited you in?
13 Mar 2009, 13:49 pm
#21 bergbok:
Joe Maher is always pissed off.
Sommer vir niet.
13 Mar 2009, 13:50 pm
#22 rangerman: And the Crusaders are f*&^ing up my SuperBru, cause I just can’t get myself to select their opponents.
13 Mar 2009, 13:50 pm
#25 Joe Maher:
Keo!
I am his head honcho.
13 Mar 2009, 13:51 pm
The key to who wins this game is in the tactical appreciation of Loffie.
He will be put to the test.
There is far more pressure on the Stormers than the Lions.
Loffie can use that to his advantage.
How he plays the first 30 minutes of this game will be his test.
He has to dictate the posession and physical exchanges in the first half, and convert that into points.
If does not do that he will lose.
If he allows the game to become loose, he will lose.
If he dominates the physical exchanges and gains a little momentum, he can cause an upset.
As I say his coaching savvy will be tested here, as there is a way to take control of this game.
13 Mar 2009, 13:52 pm
#22 rangerman: Exactly. Yet I have not seen any sniding comments on any blog on how they are the most useless champions ever, or headings of “Champs to chumps” and that ****. People seem to understand why they are so shiite. The same should have applied to the Bulls last year. The point is just that the stormers this year should have no excuses to their hondkuk season this year, and the fans should start demanding more.
13 Mar 2009, 13:53 pm
lets face it cape town is by far the prettiest city in the country.
only problem is the weed, they love it, its like mother’s milk, look how it affects their rugby.
13 Mar 2009, 13:54 pm
#30 Die Griek:
Crusaders are allowed to have a bad year.
Stormers are consistent in having bad years.
13 Mar 2009, 13:54 pm
#24 Jinx:
If the posts on this site are any barometer, nothing much has changed down that way, Jinx.
Of course, there is good and bad in everyone, good Capetonians, bad Capetonians, good Gautengers, bad Gautengers.
But move out of your Rondebosch world for but a moment, look objectively at the pro-WP kak that passes as journalism on this site and ask yourself…were I not a Capetonian, would I not get gatvol of the constant pro-WP spin.
I think I’ll just have a smoke and mellow…
(You can go up in flames for all I care, I hear Mims say).
13 Mar 2009, 13:55 pm
#31 cab:
Soek jy weer skoor.
Be warned.
Jinx is in a bad mood.
13 Mar 2009, 13:55 pm
#31 cab:
It’s not the weed…it’s the TIK that worries me about the Stormers.
13 Mar 2009, 13:56 pm
#28 Dawn:
That explains everything. Thank you.
With your contacts, can you tell Ryan to lift his game. Please.
13 Mar 2009, 13:56 pm
#30 Die Griek:
Perhaps because they won the competition 7 times, dominated the thing since its inception basically?
The Bulls on the other hand will always have to put up with the perception that they won it when Henry pulled out the AB’s…
And then turned to chumps.
13 Mar 2009, 13:57 pm
#33 Joe Maher:
I suppose one could say they are reporting what Rassie says, and Rassie sees the world through rose-coloured spectacles.
13 Mar 2009, 13:57 pm
#34 Dawn:
ja, pardon tannie, ek kry op die regte spoor nou nou.
#35 Jinx:
lol, dunno what it is, but naquelevuki is a perfect case in point, the oke is strong enough to power thru anything and he looks like he’s on cloud 9 most of the time, just enjoying his saunter around the paddock, whistling as he goes, lah dee dah.
13 Mar 2009, 13:57 pm
#33 Joe Maher:
I’d rather be in Cape Town than Adelaide mate but go well.
13 Mar 2009, 13:58 pm
#36 Joe Maher:
It’s Friday today.
Ryan is off to Klipfontein Rd to buy him a gatsby for supper.
13 Mar 2009, 13:59 pm
#39 cab:
Yes, he takes 7 years to run the first 5 metres.
13 Mar 2009, 13:59 pm
#40 Jinx:
And I, my friend, would rather be in Adelaide.
That’s what makes the world such a wonderful place. It’s all about the eye of the beholder.
You go well, too.
13 Mar 2009, 14:00 pm
#41 Dawn:
13 Mar 2009, 14:01 pm
#43 Joe Maher:
Everyday it’s Sunday in Adelaide.
13 Mar 2009, 14:01 pm
#41 Dawn:
He can afford it on the shite he writes#>
38 Dawn:
I don’t recall them ‘reporting what Rassie says’ when he was coaching elsewhere.
13 Mar 2009, 14:03 pm
#2 Joe Maher: Oh it’s you again Joe. How are you you miserable sod?
13 Mar 2009, 14:03 pm
#37 PissAnt: Maybe but none of other teams were good enough to win it in 2007. They were also playing when the AB were pulled out???
What happened to all those loud stormers supporters predicting that 2009 would be their year. Half way through the S14 2008 some were even saying that they will win the S14 and CC last year. What have they now to show for all their bragging. Nodda. F$#@all.
13 Mar 2009, 14:03 pm
adelaide, cape town – lets face it u cant go wrong in either place.
try spending a winter in northern europe, if only i could find some weed.
13 Mar 2009, 14:04 pm
#45 Jinx:
“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself”.
Heard these words before?
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