Truth-seeker Joe finds jungle solace
RUGBY players need ego by the bucket full and Joe van Niekerk understands this better than most.
But the 52 Test Springbok back row who won two European Cups with Toulon has spent the last six years of his life actively stripping his ego away.
In a previous life, this hulking man was aggression personified. Now, in the jungles of Costa Rica where he owns the healing sanctuary Rama Organica. “Big Joe” has made way for “Jungle Joe”.
“In rugby you need that ego because you have to be strong all the time,” Van Niekerk, 40, tells The Rugby Paper over a Zoom chat that meanders occasionally into Hindu mythology and challenging yoga poses.
“But when that’s gone, when it’s time to hang up the boots, it is difficult to adjust. I know a lot of players struggle with that. When your whole sense of being revolves around playing, who are you without it?”
Van Niekerk was something of a prodigy back in his native land.
He captained the South Africa U19 and U21 teams before being fast tracked into the Springbok set-up. He made his Test debut against New Zealand in Cape Town just two months past his 21st birthday.
“I got blown up in the Press and that goes to your head,” he says, no doubt speaking for scores of young players who suddenly find themselves thrust into the spotlight.
“People thought I was a playboy because I had the convertible BMW and the blonde girlfriend and liked to party in clubs. But I was just a kid with money living my life. I think people were happy to pigeonhole me.”
On the pitch, Van Niekerk’s dynamic running game and intense physicality earned him the adoration of supporters. Alongside Juan Smith and Schalk Burger, he formed a formidable trio at the back of the scrum.
A failure to launch with Northampton Saints in 2007 – the result of a reneged contract for three years in the East Midlands – saw Van Niekerk rediscover his love of the game with his hometown club the Lions.
“That was when that feeling of invincibility fell apart,” he says. “I had to get back to basics. That was the lowest of lows for me.”
But he proved resilient. A season in Johannesburg preceded six successful years on the French Riviera which extended his career. He starred in the 2013 Heineken Cup final for Toulon but after that he played a minor role for coach Bernard Laporte.
In the 2014 Heineken Cup final victory over Saracens, nine South Africans took the field. Van Niekerk was not one of them.
“When I retired it was a dark night of the soul,” Van Niekerk says. “I couldn’t do it anymore. It was a turning point. From there I threw myself into spiritual texts, meditation and yoga. I worked with plant medicines, I explored my consciousness. I went deep.”
He continues: “I turned away from social media for five years. I just had to leave and reflect on 15 years in a sport that had become my entire life.
“My mission since has been to transcend adversity and discover who I am. I wanted to understand inflammation of the body and tried going vegan. I became a seeker of truth.”
Now in Costa Rica, Van Niekerk plays an active role in helping people overcome depression and anxiety. He wants to help retired and injured players cope with the difficult wrenching of the self that so many must feel.
Van Niekerk was in the news recently for his comments concerning recreational drug use in the game and the heavy handed punishments meted out to offenders.
He does not condone it – though he rightly points out that cocaine is not a performance enhancing drug, and also speaks of the dangers of alcohol – but instead bemoans the lack of understanding around why players turn to such vices.
“It’s a combination of the lifestyle and the need to escape from everything other than rugby,” he says. “Maybe the player is acting out and needs help. That should be dealt with in house. Instead the story runs wild in public.”
Van Niekerk’s door is open as he spreads his message outward.
“We all have an opportunity to reshape how we view ourselves and our place within the world. My journey of transformation hasn’t been easy but it’s given me renewed purpose. I’d love to help other players. Rugby will always be in my blood. I’ll always be grateful for what it gave me.”