Sbu Nkosi back in his days with the Springboks. Image: Springboks/Twitter
Bulls wing Sbu Nkosi better suited overseas, says White
White said while the Bulls were aware and understanding of Nkosi’s situation, a change of scenery might be what the star needs.
Sbu Nkosi back in his days with the Springboks. Image: Springboks/Twitter
Troubled winger Sbu Nkosi might be better off playing overseas, Vodacom Bulls director of rugby Jake White suggested.
The Bulls and Springbok wing has been having off-field battles since joining the Pretoria side last year which saw him take time off from rugby.
Last year, the 26-year-old World Cup-winning winger was reported missing but in reality, he was taking time off at his father’s house in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga citing fatigue and mental health.
He returned from a mental health break in try-scoring form for the Bulls back in February but has since been out of the team.
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Speaking to News24, White said while the Bulls were aware and understanding of Nkosi’s situation, a change of scenery might be what the star needs.
“I’ve spoken to his agent, and my honest feeling is he needs to find something overseas,” White said. “I think he’s mixed up here or he’s in a net here, but I don’t have evidence of anything. When he was at the Sharks it happened and it happened here. I’m not sure if he doesn’t need to get away and start again. I think he battles with whatever. My gut feeling is that I don’t think he battles with anything other than that he needs to get his life sorted,” White told News24
“He was married and had a child, but he’s now got a girlfriend and he’s got two kids with her. If that was my son and he was 26, 27 years old, I would worry about him. He needs some guidance. I think that’s when he runs away… that he needs some guidance.”
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Nkosi is with the Bulls and training with the team at the moment
He added: “Sbu is here, he’s training now, but he comes and goes. It’s one of those things where you can’t put pressure on him when he’s not here because you don’t know what he’s going through.
“He could be missing Monday and Tuesday, and you can’t be hard on him because he could be struggling. It’s one of those really difficult situations unless you really know what’s going on.
“And he doesn’t share that, which we also respect. You can’t force that out of someone. He’s got a full-time psychologist who works with ours.
“[Blue Bulls CEO] Edgar [Rathbone] speaks to his dad a lot. It’s not like he’s in the wilderness; there is definitely communication, but you can’t push too hard.”
The Boks winger hasn’t played in over a month
The Bulls demolished Leinster at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday to set up a United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash with Stormers.
