‘I commend Sbu for saying he is not OK’: Bulls offer support to troubled Nkosi

The Blue Bulls say they will give troubled Springboks winger Sbu Nkosi all the support he needs to get back on his feet and on the rugby field.

Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone said the contract for Nkosi, who was found at his father’s house in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga on Monday after he went missing three weeks ago, has not been a subject of discussion.

Addressing a press conference at Loftus on Tuesday morning, Rathbone said on Monday he had a long heart-to-heart conversation with Nkosi, who is battling with mental health issues, and there is no timeframe for when he will be back on the field.

“It is difficult to put a timeline on it. Let’s give him his space to get back to full health,” Rathbone said.

“We are arranging support for the time he is ready to get it. As I said to him yesterday [Monday], our goal is to get him back on the rugby field and feeling like a champion again.

“Even it means it is not at the Bulls and he needs to get a new start, but it is our job to get him ready.

“Obviously we are not trained for scenarios like this. I am sure we made mistakes along the way but I think what we need to keep in mind through all of this is there is a player’s reputation that needs to be managed too.”

Rathbone said there is support for players at the union and they employ a full-time psychologist.

“There is a huge support structure through [professional rugby players’ organisation] MyPlayers. They do mental health screening on players on a regular basis.

“We are one of the few unions that employ a full-time psychologist. There are support strictures in place but maybe we can make it better.

“The responsibility lies on both sides, like in any relationship. Whether it’s with you and your family, there is always a responsibility from both parties to pick it up or for someone to say, 'I am struggling with something'.

“We as men are good at hiding stuff away and making as if everything is fine. I think that is a flaw for us and that’s why I commend Sbu for saying 'I am not OK'.”

Rathbone said he was relieved to see Nkosi safe when Bulls representatives arrived at his father’s house after the franchise's security team received tip-offs on the player's whereabouts.

He said the Bulls feared the worst after Nkosi went missing. The CEO said the episode should serve as a wake-up for all sporting codes on the issue of mental health among athletes.

“The tip-offs gave us the confidence we would find him alive. [With] the reality of living in South Africa, and what we have seen in the past with other rugby players, you have that concern.

“It was an unbelievable relief to see him  alive and well yesterday. This is a wake-up call for anyone in sport.

“I think in a space of about 12 months we have seen [Wallabies captain] Michael Hooper withdrawing [from a tour, citing mindset issues] and n Ben Stokes withdrawing [from England's cricket Test squad to prioritise mental wellbeing].

“I think it is the reality of professional sport. These guys are not machines but human beings and there is tremendous pressure on them daily to perform. This is the wake-up call for all sports.”