Big jump from lineouts to financial advice

"There is a helluva tsunami on the way. There is a helluva mess around the world. You only have to look at what's happening in Europe to know it could spill over. It makes you scared.

"The world is busy with its biggest financial experiment and no one can say with certainty where we're heading."

This is not the usual way of introducing a rugger-bugger on these pages, but that's Nico Wegner for you. The affable former Bok lock has traded decoding opposition lineout calls for a career as a financial adviser.

Staying on the subject and before you buy that German saloon car, he warns that things will get worse before any long-term improvement.

"We are wealth managers. We advise people where to invest in financial markets. It's almost like a calling for me. In fact, when I was still playing early in my career, in 1993, I started advising people about financial markets, albeit on a small scale.

"When I stopped (playing) I made a career of it. I try to give people the best possible life with what is available to them to invest.

"I'm going to join the Louis Group in Cape Town, part of a joint venture with the Hereford Group. I'm quite excited."

In 2000, at the tail-end of his rugby career, Wegner made an unlikely move to Gauteng after getting a call from an agent saying Phil Pretorius (the former Valke coach) was looking for a lock.

"I otherwise wouldn't have worked in Gauteng for 10 years. This is the engine room of the economy. For me, those 10 years have been crucial to my career development.

"If you ask guys from Cape Town if they'd work here for a decade they'd say you're crazy," said the former Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Parma, Western Province, Sharks and Valke lock, who played in four Tests and 12 matches for the Boks.

"Obviously, I wanted to play more but people don't realise how the game was split along provincial lines. Mac (Ian McIntosh) was the coach and by the time the team came back from New Zealand (1994) half of us were out.

"Kitch (Christie) took over and he went with Transvaal players. You have to recognise the times you live in.

"In hindsight, if I was a bit older, I may have had a longer Bok career. I was young and I got a gap. I was ready for it. I came back from Parma (1991/92) where I was able to train with volleyball players. If I can give young locks advice it would be for them to go and have a look at how those guys train and develop an explosive jump.

"In 1993, you couldn't lift in the lineout, so if you were able to jump well, you'd have a big advantage. In that sense I was right for the times."

Wegner, 42, still takes a keen interest in rugby and laments: "They're playing too much. "

The less-is-more mantra was perhaps at play after he got married. "My wife Teana and I delayed starting a family until after I stopped playing and pushed my career a bit.

"My daughter Chante is two years old and my son Jean-Nicolas one.

"I think they'll keep you younger as you're getting older. I'll be 60 when my son hits varsity. I think it's great being more mature parents and I suppose one lives a little longer these days."

Juggling family commitments, chicken farming (with former Bok hooker Chris Rossouw) and work is a constant challenge.

"To get away we go into the bush but I'm an avid reader. You could say I'm a fulltime student of the financial markets. I read a lot because people depend on me."