Sbu Nkosi Bulls URC

Springbok wing Sbu Nkosi is reportedly set to return to training with the Bulls after his much-publicised disappearance. Image: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images.

Sbu Nkosi: ‘I’ve basically been curled up in a ball!’

Springboks wing Sbu Nkosi says he has been contending with severe mental health battles after going missing for three weeks.

Sbu Nkosi Bulls URC

Springbok wing Sbu Nkosi is reportedly set to return to training with the Bulls after his much-publicised disappearance. Image: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images.

On Monday, Springboks and Bulls wing Sbu Nkosi was finally found.

After three weeks without any word, the Bulls were able to confirm that the 26-year-old is “safe and sound”, having ultimately been tracked down at his father’s house in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga.

BREAKING: SPRINGBOKS WING SBU NKOSI FOUND

Bulls Chief Executive Edgar Rathbone spent time with Nkosi “to understand how best the company can provide him with the support he needs, and what that support is”.

In an interview with Sport24, Nkosi has now opened up about the struggles he endured, and how mental health struggles as a result of rugby pressures led to his disappearance.

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“It’s just been a whole lot of mental pressure. It’s been building up for a couple of years now, since the Sharks saga, and it’s been a bit of a tough time.

“I was just trying to keep myself calm. That’s been a battle,” Nkosi added. “I just needed time. I’ve basically been curled up in a ball with my dad, and he’s been managing my mental state daily.”

Nkosi joined the Bulls from the Sharks earlier this year at a time when it seemed that he was battling with form and fitness, while also enduring struggles with some off-field issues.

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Nkosi admitted that he had reached a point where he simply had to take care of his mental and physical wellbeing ahead of anything else.

“Maybe a little effort needs to be put into how the guys manage the wave of emotions that come with the good and bad times. A lot of things are out of your control as a rugby player.

“You just try to give the team and the coach the best product you can. And that takes your time, energy and a lot of you. It doesn’t always go like we think it will.

“Nobody really teaches us how to manage ourselves, our thoughts and our emotions. It’s harder for the guys that are in tune with their spirit and their emotions.”

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The Bulls expressed gratitude and thanks for those that provided help in finding Nkosi, while it was confirmed that a press conference will be held at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday.

All that information will be provided as soon as it is available here at The South African.

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WHO IS SBU NKOSI? 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

1. S’busiso Romeo Nkosi born on 21 January 1996 in Barberton, Mpumalanga.

2. In order to pursue a career in rugby, Nkosi taught himself how to run by watching videos on YouTube.

3. When he was 16, Sbu was selected to play for the Pumus, the provincial team in Mpumalanga, at the U16 Grant Khomo Week tournament, where he played three times.

4. Nkosi initially attended Barberton High School up to grade 10, before transferring to Jeppe High School in Johannesburg. At Jeppe, he was selected to play for Golden Lions U18 team in 2013 and 2014.

5. Known for his pace, the speedster holds a personal best record of 10.59 seconds over 100 meters.

6. He moved to the Sharks academy in 2015 and made his senior debut for the union a year later. Nkosi went on to earned 76 caps for the Sharks across all competitions (including Super Rugby and the Currie Cup). He played a crucial role in the team’s 2018 Currie Cup win.

7. His excellent form at the Sharks saw him earn call-up into the Springbok squad in 2018 and he went on to make his Test debut against England at Ellis Park in June that year. A star wing at the time, Nkosi played a key role in South Africa’s 2019 World Cup win. Overall, he has scored nine tries in 16 Tests for the Springboks.

8. Nkosi is an aspiring rapper. He has already released one hip hop song and with him being signed to American Sports Agency Roc Nation, owned by iconic Hip Hop star Jay-Z, his music career looks set to take off soon.

9. He now plays for the Bulls, after trading the Sharks for the Pretoria-based franchise in September 2022. However, Nkosi disappeared without a trace in November and missed three weeks of activities at the Bulls without letting anyone know his whereabouts.

10. Nkosi has a history of ill-discipline throughout his career. Before the latest saga, he was sent home by the Bulls from a tour of Ireland and Wales in October after failing to make a curfew and it is understood the winger has a history of similar issues at previous clubs.

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Sbu Nkosi Springboks
Sbu Nkosi in action for the Bulls. Photo: Backpagepix