The Tiger who came to tee... and lost his tooth playing golf!
THEY like them tough at Leicester and they do not come much tougher than Tigers and Springbok powerhouse Jasper Wiese, the rampaging No 8 who is eyeing back-to-back Premiership titles.
So hard is Wiese in fact, that in 2019 the only damage he suffered when being hit in the face by an errant golf club was the loss of a tooth. Wiese smiles broadly as he tells the story, revealing the gap in his mouth which still exists.
‘I got hit in the head with a driver when we were playing golf,’ says Wiese. ‘I was standing behind a guy when he teed off and he put one into the bushes. I thought he was done, but he took another practice swing and as he came back, he hit me in the mouth. It was a massive accident. I’m going to get it sorted out and get a new tooth!’ At a club which has produced iconic names like Martin Johnson, Dean Richards, Neil Back and Richard Cockerill — Wiese is the latest in a long line of no-nonsense Leicester forwards. The South African fits perfectly into the environment of hard work and sheer physicality. He is right at home as he takes a seat at the club’s spit and sawdust Oval Park training ground.
On the field, Wiese never takes a backward step. Leicester love him for the way he rampages forward, swatting tackle attempts like flies. But off it, the 27-year-old is very different. He is true to his Christian faith. The death of his sister Maretha — after being hit by a Cape Town bus at the age of 30 — means he is aware there are far more important things than rugby. ‘It’s a bigger purpose we play for,’ Wiese says. ‘It (Christianity) keeps you calm and brings a bit of ease that rugby isn’t the biggest part of your life. It’s important, but religion is also very important to me. I won’t say I think about my sister daily because otherwise I’d be in bits. ‘Maretha’s death told me to play every game as if it was my last. Hopefully, I’ve a lot more games in me but a few bits in my life are now put into perspective.’ Wiese was man of the match in last season’s Premiership final. Tomorrow, they will travel to Sale for a last-four clash. ‘Leicester have always been known for a hard style of play. It made me excited to come here,’ says Wiese, who has made 40-metre breaks a habit. ‘It’s a club with a proud tradition. I try to bring an edge to my game but I don’t go mad or charge into walls. I tend just to chat about what we’re going to do. Then I get on with it!’ Wiese laments the fact he will not be able to take on his brother, Cobus, who is with the Sharks but injured. ‘My mum and dad won’t be there but my brother will,’ Wiese says. ‘He’ll probably be having a beer in the stands! My mother watches rugby, but my father doesn’t like it. He had a bad experience growing up. A coach shouted at him when he was 13 and he decided he wasn’t going to play! ‘If he’d pursued rugby he’d have been an excellent player. My mother played netball and did
athletics — our love of sport comes from her.’ Leicester have defied the mid-season loss of coaches Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield to England to make the play-offs and are a team in form. ‘The real business starts this week,’ he says. ‘It’s been an up-and-down season. I’m in a privileged position. I’ve won the league and been called up to South Africa — I don’t know how to count all my blessings. I don’t have enough fingers or toes! ‘These angels are working overtime! I hope my sister is looking down and can be proud of us. If she was still with us, I think she would be.’