Ready to pounce Big time awaits Sanele Nohamba
● Cricket’s loss being rugby’s gain or viceversa is one of the well-worn clichés in sport, but the Sharks’ exciting 21-year-old scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba said cricket’s not going to miss him.
That’s a big statement from the 1.64m, last born of three from kwaMavuso, outside Alice.
He was an under-13 cricketer at Dale Junior in King William’s Town before moving to Durban High School in 2013.
“I was more focused on cricket because I played Border under-13 schools cricket at that level, but didn’t make the Craven Week team. I played rugby because I loved it, it was fun and I played A-team rugby. When I didn’t crack the KZN under-15 cricket week side, it wasn’t a big deal,” Nohamba said.
“When I broke into the Grant Khomo u-16 rugby week, I was still playing cricket, but when I made the SA Rugby High Performance Group, that was it for cricket. I don’t think I’m much of a loss for cricket.”
The move up the N2 from King William’s Town in 2013 wasn’t tough for Nohamba. He had four other mates who joined him at DHS, but only him, Kamvelihle Fatyela and Cham Zondeki remained till matric.
They became key components of DHS’s competitive 2017 first rugby team that included Phendulani “Phepsi” Buthelezi and Celimpilo Gumede.
The trio all played for the Sharks under18, SA Schools and SA under-20 before graduating into the Sharks senior set-up.
Nohamba’s ability to learn and adapt quickly, seen to great effect in the Springbok Showdown on October 3 and pre-Covid-19 Super Rugby where he looked the part as Louis Schreuder’s deputy, was honed by the tournaments he watched as a schoolboy in Alice.
In that sporting hive of kwaMavuso, one of many villages in the Alice, Middledrift and Fort Beaufort region where rugby and cricket rule the roost, competition often pits men against boys.
Though he didn’t play rugby there at the time, he was intrinsically being set up for the future.
“There are tournaments like amacal’egusha where I played cricket, but I didn’t play rugby. There’s no age group there, so you just play against whomever. I’d watch the Sunday League rugby after church and by that watching, I’d learn the game,” Nohamba said.
“I’ve never actually thought about those experiences helping me in the future, but when I batted, it was men versus boys. I didn’t know then, but I think it may have prepped me for the challenges I’ve gone on to face in rugby.”
Nohamba, who through his performances over the past two seasons has positioned himself as one of SA’s best young halfbacks behind incumbents Faf de Klerk and Herschel Jantjies, knows self-belief is the first
It’s important to back yourself. If you don’t, nobody will Sanele Nohamba
Sharks scrumhalf
rung on the ladder of success, especially for someone his size. The Sharks were happy to let Schreuder go to back Nohamba.
Being a versatile, goalkicking halfback who’s not lost at 10 when needed, French scrumhalf Morgan Parra and SA’s 2007 Rugby World Cup winning No 9 Fourie du Preez were his role models. He wants to be the allweather, all-conditions package.
“It’s important to back yourself because if you don’t back yourself, nobody will do so. I’ll be failing myself if I don’t back myself and I won’t be performing in the way I want to. I also won’t be backed by those around me if I don’t believe in myself,” Nohamba said.
“The goalkicking came from Parra and the all-round game from Fourie. I looked up to these guys. I’ve also watched a lot of rugby and picked up a number of different things from other players. I see myself as a student of the game where I pick up various facets, put them together and create my own identity. I want to be the complete scrumhalf who can play in all conditions against all teams.”