Cape Town – Every sports person dreams of competing at a Cup. It’s the ultimate challenge of bringing glory and joy to your country, and in South Africa’s case, it is even more special considering all the daily trials and tribulations everyone faces.
Blitzbok superstar Zane Davids, though, had his dream crushed a fortnight ago when he injured his ankle in the final tournament of the season in Los Angeles – just 10 days before the start of the Rugby Cup Sevens in the powerful runner’s home town.
For most this would be a devastating blow. A reason to sulk around for days and just wallow in your own misery.
But that’s not what greeted me this week when I met up with Davids, where despite hobbling around in a “moon boot”, the 25-year-old was still sporting a smile as broad as Table Mountain.
“Injuries are part of the game bru … it’s not in your hands,” Davids said.
Davids’ mature attitude towards something so potentially heartbreaking can only be attested to the fact that he is indeed already living his dream.
The bullocking forward, known for his high work-rate and tenacious tackling, has travelled an arduous road to not only become a Blitzbok, but also an Olympian, a Commonwealth gold medalist and the only South African to be named in the HSBC Sevens Dream Team last week.
It is for this reason that he appreciates everything – good and bad – that he’s experienced in his professional rugby career.
“I don’t where I would be if I wasn’t playing rugby,” Davids said.
It is a career that began at Primrose Rugby Club, where Davids literally carried would-be tacklers on his back all the way to the tryline during his junior days. Such stellar performances under the guidance of his Primrose RFC coaches saw Davids quickly attract the attention of the local ivy-league rugby schools in Cape Town’s southern suburbs.
“I can never forget my Primrose days. I was quite shy and it was a place where I made a lot of new friends who I am still in contact with today. Also, we had good coaches, ‘Uncle Kashfy’ was a big influence on my career, and he still is up to today, as we chat regularly. We always need a person to guide us in our life,” Davids said.
However, it was not until Grade 10 that his father, Mogamat Davids, a staunch supporter of community club rugby, agreed for Davids to take up a scholarship at Rondebosch Boys High School.
It was at ‘Bosch that Davids’ career simply sky-rocketed to another level due to the exposure of the traditional schoolboy derbies he was now playing on a weekly basis. His performances on the rugby field, whether it be at prop, loose-forward, or centre saw Davids transformed into a cult schoolboy hero and ascension to the Western Province Craven Week teams followed by South Africa Under-20 side before his graduation to the Blitzboks.
“I was quite quiet, and coming from South Peninsula High School it was difficult to adjust initially, and when I got there I was playing in all these different positions, but it was such a wild journey for me,” Davids said.
“After Craven Week, it was Province Under-21 and then the Baby Boks in 2017, and they saw my work-rate there, and from there I was called up to a trial with the Sevens and I’ve been with the Blitzboks for seven years.
“I was quite heavy at the time and I was worried about how I would cope with the fitness levels, but Chris Dry came up to me, and said just keep up for three months, and the experienced guys like Cecil (Afrika) and Branco (du Preez) just kept me going.”
The Blitzboks will certainly miss Davids’ energy this weekend as they take on the world at DHL Stadium and look to provide coach Neil Powell with the perfect send-off ahead of his move to the Sharks as director of rugby.
But even though he won’t be out on the field with his “family” this weekend in the Blitzboks quest, he is fully backing the green-and-gold to go all the way.
“Neil has always given 100%, and he is so committed to the system, waking up at 3am and working on plans, he is never slacking, and deserves everything that comes his way because he really is committed to us,” he said.
“I am backing the boys to go all the way. If the guys perform to their levels that we know they can, then nobody can stop them. But I also know you can’t underestimate anyone as we have seen with all the upsets over the last few weeks, I’ll be in the stands and supporting them all the way.”
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