How 1995 World Cup euphoria changed Habana's life

Former Springbok winger Bryan Habana used to imagine himself as a footballer who would eventually wear the famous red jersey of Manchester United and fly the SA flag high internationally. 

Although he knew he was a fast runner since childhood, Habana would have laughed it off had anyone told him that one day, he would live to grace the world stages as one of the most prolific international rugby stars instead of being a soccer player. 

“I was always fast as a child; the speed was there. My parents, Bernie and Faith, named me after two Manchester stars, captain Bryan Robson and goalkeeper Gary Bailey, so I ended up wanting to be the import from this country to play in the English Premier League,” Habana said. 

However, his heart shifted focus in the wake of Mzansi’s 1995 significant moment when the Boks won the Rugby World Cup on home soil.

His father, who has played quite an influential role in his career, had taken him to Ellis Park, where he witnessed then president Nelson Mandela, having been freed just five years earlier, hand the Webb Ellis trophy to Francois Pienaar following victory over New Zealand.

“I didn’t know anything about sport or even politics during that era, I was just caught up in the excitement as an 11-year-old boy. I was enthusiastic about an experience I would say helped me see the raw emotions, the joy and the passion people had that SA had won the cup,” said the 40-year-old. 

The wish to kick the round ball to the back of the net was instantly replaced by a dream to throw the oval-shaped one over the tryline.  

“I got to witness history and unity. It really became a watershed moment in my life because I got to see Mandela walking right there in the pitch and the Springboks creating a moment not only iconic but impactful in a way that it brought to me inspiration to want to emulate what they were doing. If it wasn’t for this moment, I don’t know if I’d be playing rugby.”  

Two weeks after this 1995 historic event, Bernie took Bryan to join a rugby team as an extracurricular sport in Houghton.

“I hadn’t even played the sport before, so that’s where I did for the first time because I knew I wanted to achieve the goal of representing SA. I started dreaming incredibly hard about this,” he said.

“It was the U14 team, I was a very tiny boy, whose neck wasn’t visible whenever I was wearing shoulder pads,” he laughed. 

His father then became a source of encouragement, rallying behind him with support so that his aspirations of ending up in the national squad could be fulfilled.  

He then got to be in the U16 Lions club, traveling to Namibia to compete with other teams. 

“That’s when I started seeing potential of where I could really go. I will never forget the first time I got my first payment from rugby, I felt like a millionaire. I made sure I spoiled my two siblings.”

 But like any other parent, his father advised him to enroll for a course at Rand Afrikaans Universiteit (now University of Johannesburg). 

“I knew I could make a career out of this game that I had completely fallen in love with, but school was also very important, so I enrolled for BSc in IT (information technology).”

In November 2004, he made his test debut for the Springboks, representing his country for the first time. 

 “My parents were sitting in the stands watching me. I played against then world champions, England. I scored my first try with my first touch of the ball. I understood how it felt to represent my country, my family and myself. I didn’t want that to be a one-time thing, I wanted to keep doing it for as long as I could.”

From this point, Habana’s pathway to the the Bok team was smoother, elevating him closer to his end goal of wearing that dark green and gold jersey. 

After retiring in 2018, Habana now runs his own business, while playing a major role as a father to his two children. 

“It wasn’t really the fairytale ending because I had an injury and couldn’t play close to my retirement, I really appreciate the five and a half years I played for Toulon in France.”

Now, Habana sits in boardroom meetings, alongside his co-founders of a digital marketing company, Retro Active. He also works on his other company called Pay Me Now. 

“We make sure that some employees can get their salaries in advance. It’s a great transitioning period. I’ve had to give up everything I know and start afresh. A 15-year rugby CV doesn’t really mean anything. I’m starting from the bottom and I’m no longer getting freebies." 

Having married his long-time girlfriend, Habana has two sons and he’s trying to instill values taught by his own parents in his sons. 

 “We didn’t really struggle compared to how people of colour were struggling at the time, I’m grateful for the upbringing we had with my brother and sister. We were blessed to go to good schools and grow up in a family full of love. Things were not always perfect, but we had an incredible head start to life.”

ratsatsik@sowetan.co.za