Abongile Nonkontwana of the Bulls on February 08 2020 in Cape Town. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images
“My father watched the first rugby match I played. It was also the last rugby match he saw me play‚ because he died soon afterwards‚” said the bulky Bulls loose forward.Nonkontwana said it was his goal to follow in the footsteps of his father who he regarded as his “hero”. Nonkontwana said moving from his mother’s home to stay with his rugby-playing father at 10 had inspired him to become the player he is today.
His parents later applied for him to attend Selborne Primary School. Nonkontwana has never forgotten his interview with the headmaster, who “took one look at me and said ‘we’ll accept you on one condition — that you play rugby’. So that’s where I started playing rugby. Before I’d only played tennis and soccer.”
“My father said there was no way the game would go ahead‚ but I begged him to double check for me. Sure enough‚ it went ahead. I think we won that match. It was against Queen’s Primary.