Remarkable comeback The Cornal Hendricks story
Despite his cardiac issues, Hendricks has found his way back into the game
● On one of his social media pages, Cornal Hendricks has a line that says: “I’m the one who decides when I give up.”
His return from a heart condition that stopped his 12-Test career just before the 2015 Rugby World Cup is a remarkable comeback.
Hendricks was signed by the Bulls last week after being cleared by two leading heart specialists.
He went through a roller coaster of emotions in the past 36 months but it armed him with lessons that will be applicable when he eventually hangs up his boots.
“I gained weight, even though I wasn’t seriously overweight, but I gained weight. I went through a rough patch and Heyneke Meyer called me and gave me a chance to play for the Asia Pacific Dragons. When you train on your own, you don’t have much motivation. They say that a true champion trains when no one is watching,” Hendricks said.
“When you do hill sessions, it’s you and the hill and there’s no motivation and people shouting for you. You must create that platform in your head and have the crowd in your head to motivate you.”
The 30-year-old Hendricks only played one of his 12 Tests at what will be his Loftus Versfeld home.
Being forced out of the game because of matters beyond his control opened him up to abuse from all quarters.
Oddly, Hendricks said he’s been sitting on the news of his clean bill of health but the journey back to full match fitness meant he had to watch the game pass him by.
Hendricks wasn’t able to name the heart specialists or the kind of heart condition that halted his career.
“I received the news three years ago but there were a lot of things running through my head and people were telling me a lot of things. Every time I was watching rugby on TV, my leg would twitch and I would realise what I’m missing,” Hendricks said.
“There were a lot of mean things that people said to me, like I’ll never make it and I’m sick. That messes with a guy’s head. I wasn’t trusting anyone at the time and to get the news from the heart specialist gave me confidence to train better.”
Hendricks is not regretful of the time he’s spent out of the game as it’s allowed him to look at life from a different perspective. Missing out on the 2015 World Cup when he was a sure starter under Meyer’s stewardship in 2014 and 2015 was a big blow.
But it’s something he’s made peace with even though the pain in his voice is evident.
“I was at the top of my career. I was 26 and Meyer had already told me I was going to be next in line after Bryan Habana. I was looking forward to that because I’d signed a contract with the Stormers.
I’ve grown wiser
“If I think about the years I’ve missed, I’ve grown wiser as a human being and I also got a glimpse of how life will be post-rugby. There’s plenty of humanitarian and social lessons I’ve taken,” Hendricks said.
“I missed out on the 2015 Rugby World Cup and I was disappointed because I really thought I was going to make the squad because the then coach Heyneke Meyer said he was going to pick a fit squad and I think I was one of the fittest players in the squad. Having put in all the hard work and missing the tournament was a huge setback.”
Bulls team doctor Herman Rossouw was at pains to explain the process behind Hendricks’s signing. But he said it was difficult to go against medical opinion from leading heart specialists.
“It’s going to be difficult to give you a full answer because as a medical professional, I’ve got different worries and different goals as compared to a company so I won’t be able to give you the real answer that you’re looking for. I’m glad for the individual and like he said, it’s a risk he’s willing to take. But as a medical professional, ja,” Rossouw said,
“It’s really hard for me to comment on that as it was a decision that was made beyond me. He had specialist clearance and it was a decision the Blue Bulls company was comfortable to take.”