Remembering Hendricks: Life lessons in perseverance ... and paying for a Bok’s dinner

BACK in 2017 the late Cornal Hendricks taught me two important life lessons when I invited him for supper one night at the Boardwalk in Gqeberha.

- JOHN GOLIATH

I was in town to cover the Springboks’ Rugby Championship match against Argentina. But he wasn’t part of the squad after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition in 2015.

He was basically told he will never play rugby again, and after being rejected by Toulon and the Stormers, he was trying to get a contract with the Southern Kings and had been training with them for about a week.

I got wind that Hendricks was in town and organised a get-together to chat about his health and the prospect of returning to professional rugby after keeping fit for his beloved Roses Rugby Club in his home town of Wellington.

Before that meeting we only had brief chats during chance encounters on the golf course. At the time he was coy about what he had been going through after his Springbok career was cut short in his prime after just 14 Tests in the green and gold.

But when he walked into the restaurant, he looked like his old chirpy self. Like the guy who always enjoyed to joke around and poke a little bit of fun. His trial with the Kings was going really well and he was excited to be given another chance to play at a top level again.

He certainly ate like a guy hungry for success again ... and as it was me who invited him out for dinner, I offered to pay the bill. The meal set me back half of my week's allowance, with the first life lesson being revealed to me ... never invite a big Springbok out to dinner and offer to pay!