Alshaun Bock: The ultimate journeyman

On a warm June afternoon in 2003, the Iffley Road field in Oxford where Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier for the mile, was bathed in sunlight for the opening match of the Under-21 World Championships.

Along with many hopeful young men dreaming of greatness was Junior Bok wing Alshaun Bock. He was also taking the first strides to what he thought would be senior test rugby and fame and fortune. By the end of the opening match against Ireland, it was clear his ambition and hopes were not misplaced.

Bock was impressive. He scored a vital try late in the game to end Ireland's fightback by running a sharp angle on to an inside pass from scrumhalf Ricky Januarie. Bock rounded future British & Irish Lions wing Tommy Bowe to dot down. The Junior Boks won 38-27.

Bock scored five against Canada and added three more tries to finish as the tournament's leading try-scorer on nine. He was named in the team of the tournament with fellow SA players Schalk Burger and Januarie.

The rugby world was there for the taking. And then it wasn't.

In 2017 Bock, at the age of 34, made his Super Rugby debut for the Southern Kings against the Sharks, 13 years too late.

Bock's story is a tale of how the system and bad luck derailed a potentially great career, but never extinguished hope and courage.

"I was contracted at Boland at the time. After the World Championships I landed on Wednesday from England and was picked for a Friday night match against Border," Bock says. "I tore my knee ligaments in that match and I was out of the game for nine months.

"My return was a pre-season warm-up match against the Griffons in early 2004 and I broke my patella [kneecap] and I was out for another nine months. Basically two years of my career were gone at a time when I should have been moving forward. I lost a lot of speed because of the injuries and I also lost confidence. After that I was cut from Boland. They never renewed my contract."

There was no support from SA Rugby, or from anywhere else. Bock was cast adrift and had to fend for himself.

It wasn't easy considering his contract at Boland was worth R3,000 a month. He had no savings, but he was rich in determination.

"No one took care of me or took some responsibility and helped me," Bock says.

"After losing my Boland contract I had no work and no rugby prospects, but I was determined to keep playing. I joined Hamiltons club in Greenpoint, who were at the time one of the best clubs in the country.

"But I'm not bitter about what happened. I used the sadness and disappointment to drive myself and to keep going. Those lost two years were a motivation to make up for lost time."

His path took him to SWD Eagles, Western Province and Griquas and finally Super Rugby and the Kings. He has played 153 first-class matches and scored 109 tries, mostly in the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup first division.

It's a respectable career by any standards, and one that Bock is extremely proud of even though it didn't play out quite the way he envisaged all those years ago.

"I earned about R5,000 a month at Hamiltons. My car and transport cost me R2,500 because I drove through to Cape Town from Wellington almost every day," Bock says.

"At the time I was staying at my parents' house, but I never stopped believing that the breakthrough would come soon.

"Every morning I gymed in Wellington where a buddy who worked there let me train for free and in the evenings I went to Hamiltons training."

Bock is at peace. He will coach at local Wellington club Newton RC when he retires, which could be the end of this year, and he will continue to give back to his community.

"I'm realistic and understand that I will never play for the Springboks," he says. "If I could turn the clock back to the early 2000s, I promise you I would do nothing different.

"I'm really satisfied with my rugby career and I have no regrets."