Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'I'm lucky to be alive because I was basically dead three times in 2018'

Ethienne Reynecke in action for Saracens in 2010. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Former Saracens hooker Ethienne Reynecke will be 37-years-old on March 20th – a birthday he never thought would be celebrated after nearly losing his life three times in his native South Africa last year.

ADVERTISEMENT

Reynecke, who also played for Stormers, Lions and Connacht and is a SuperSport commentator, admits he is lucky to be alive after he suffered a stroke and was shot at in a robbery. He told Sport24: “It’s true what they say – you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. But I’m lucky to be alive because I was basically dead three times in 2018. I had a blood clot on the brain, suffered a stroke and was shot at in a robbery at the Spar.

“I’m like that old PC of yours that is slow because the ROM is full. I must get the motherboard working at 100% again. I’m suffering from aphasia (a language disorder that affects one’s ability to communicate), which happens after a stroke or head injury. Not being able to speak properly, read or pronounce names or numbers has been challenging.”

Continue reading below…
You may also like: The Short Ball – The World Rugby Nations Championship Debacle

Video Spacer

Reynecke never had to be admitted to a hospital ward during his rugby career but that has all changed since hanging up his boots. “Post-career, I ended up spending almost a month in ICU”, adding “It’s been three months now and I have to keep going. I draw inspiration from my daughters Layla and Ave-Mari, who are both ‘hoofmeisies’ (head girls). My eldest is class leader and has attained academic merit. When I had the stroke it was actually Layla who recognised that something was wrong with me. She said, ‘I think daddy must go to hospital.’

“Going from speaking on SuperSport to having my seven-year-old complete my sentences, I have learned that humility comes in many different forms. We all have challenges to overcome and I’m taking it day for day. Through the grace of God, I have started wrestling again, and I am grateful for the small things. You have to keep fighting, as the world doesn’t wait for anybody.”

Reynecke has recovered sufficiently to take part in this weekend’s Cape Cycle Tour on Sunday. “It’s great to be in Cape Town ahead of the race and I will be riding for a good cause in this year’s Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday. As someone who suffered from Bell’s Palsy, I’m familiar with not being able to smile normally. “

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch: Rassie Erasmus on World Cup 2019, Japan and Pro14

Video Spacer

ADVERTISEMENT

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

f
fl 14 minutes ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Why do you downplay his later career, post 50? He won a treble less than two years ago, with a club who played more games and won more games than any other team that managed the same feat. His crowning achievement - by his own admission.”

He’s won many trebles in his career - why do you only care about one of them?

I think its unsurprising that he’d feel more emotional about his recent achievements, but its less clear why you do.


“Is it FA cups or League cups you’re forgetting in his English trophy haul? You haven’t made that clear…”

It actually was clear, if you knew the number he had won of each, but I was ignoring the league cup, because Germany and Spain only have one cup competition so it isn’t possible to compare league cup performance with City to his performance with Bayern and Barcelona.


“With Barcelona he won 14 trophies. With Bayern Munich he won 5 trophies. With City he has currently won 18 trophies…”

I can count, but clearly you can’t divide! He was at Barca for 4 years, so that’s 3.5 trophies per year. He was at Bayern for 3 years, and actually won 7 trophies so that’s 2.3 trophies per year. He has been at City for 8 completed seasons so that’s 2.25 trophies per year. If in his 9th season (this one) he wins both the FA cup and the FIFA club world cup that will take his total to 20 for an average of 2.22 trophies per year.


To be clear - you said that Pep had gotten better with age by every metric. In fact by most metrics he has gotten worse!

182 Go to comments
f
fl 2 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“He made history beyond the age of 50. History.”

He made history before the age of 50, why are you so keen to downplay Pep’s early career achievements? In 2009 he won the sextuple. No other manager in history had achieved that, and Pep hasn’t achieved it since, but here you are jizzing your pants over a couple of CL finals.


“If continuing to break records and achieve trophies isn't a metric for success”

Achieving trophies is a metric for success, and Pep wins fewer trophies as he gets older.


“He's still competing for a major trophy this year. Should he get it, it would be 8 consecutive seasons with a major trophy. Then the world club cup in the summer.”

You’re cherry picking some quite odd stats now. In Pep’s first 8 seasons as a manager he won 6 league titles, 2 CL titles, & 4 cup titles. In Pep’s last 8 seasons as a manager (including this one) he’s won 6 league titles, 1 CL title, & 2 (or possibly 3) cup titles. In his first 8 seasons he won the FIFA world club cup 3 times; in his last 8 seasons he’s won it 1 (or possibly soon to be 2) time(s). In his first 8 seasons he won the UEFA super cup 3 times; in his last 8 he won the UEFA super cup once. His record over the past 8 seasons has been amazing - but it is a step down from his record in his first 8 seasons, and winning the FA cup and FIFA club world cup this summer won’t change that.


Pep is still a brilliant manager. He will probably remain a brilliant manager for many years to come, but you seem to want to forget how incredible he was when he first broke through. To be clear - you said that Pep had gotten better with age by every metric. That was false!

182 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Will wounded Carbery come back to haunt former side Munster? Will wounded Carbery come back to haunt former side Munster?
Search