Hope 2 Overcome

Inspiring life stories of six rugby stars: Bull Allen, Eroni Clarke, Jason Robinson, Pierre Spies, Nick Farr Jones and Inga Tuigamala. All born again with a hunger to impact the world for Jesus. Honest and open they share encouraging testimonies of the power of God at work in their lives.

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You may never play rugby again

Springbok and Bulls 'number eight', Pierre Spies, is a man admired for his skills as a rugby player and more relevantly as someone that kept himself 'pure'. Pierre values marriage and through his strong faith in God has overcome many challenges. In 2007 the rugby world was looking forward to seeing this exciting loose forward play at the Rugby World Cup in France. Sadly for Pierre it didn't happen and he almost lost his life through developing blood clots in his lungs. Here is some of what Pierre shares in his upcoming autobiography, Pierre Spies: More than Rugby.

Before we go onto the field as a team we always get together to thank God and ask Him for protection over us. When we pray before games, it is not for victory, but for the protection of our bodies and that the work of our hands may be blessed. We ask Him to help us glorify Him through our bodies and our talents. We also thank him for the opportunity to use the talents that we have been given. I take this a step further: whenever I score a try, you will see me pointing up to the heavens.

I have been residing in New Zealand for the past ten years. My first ‘encounter’ with New Zealand happened when I was about seven years old. The South African rugby team, the Springboks, were playing New Zealand’s All Blacks. As a little boy it was confusing as to why anyone would call themselves Black, especially ‘All Blacks’.

Growing up under Apartheid we were indoctrinated to believe that anything black was inferior or wrong, and ‘White was right.’ So I was quite fascinated to see who these All Blacks were.

I can still recall my utter amazement and shock, when I saw the All Blacks running onto the field. I had to enquire of my father, ‘Dad, why are there white guys playing in the All Blacks team?’ I was totally astonished to see that amongst those running onto the field wearing the black jerseys were White men. These All Blacks from New Zealand were actually comprised of Whites, which astounded me.

That was my first encounter with anything from New Zealand and little did I realise that some 20 years later I would find myself living in the land of the All Blacks. In many of my introductory lines to audiences I often joke and say, As Indians growing up in South Africa we were not regarded as black but rather half black . Now that I’ve immigrated to New Zealand I have completed the process and am all black !