Ex-Bok Joe van Nierkerk urges players to carefully consider life after the final whistle

Joe van Niekerk stepped away from rugby having made peace with what awaits in the sport's afterlife.

Delaying the inevitable can be devastating, warned Van Niekerk, who played 52 Tests for the Springboks between 2001 and 2010.

He also represented the Lions, Western Province and the Stormers with distinction before concluding his career at Toulon, with whom he won the first two of their hat-trick of Champions Cup titles in 2013 and 2014.

He saw the end coming and arrived at the decision that selflessness and not self- indulgence is what the team needed.

His transition into retirement was smoother than most.

Not that it didn't go without a fair amount of soul-searching.

He went off the radar for the first two years as he embarked on a path of self-discovery.

Van Niekerk is an advocate of players taking a more proactive approach about their future.

“Rugby players sacrifice so much in the sport that they almost can't do anything outside rugby,” said the 42-year-old.

“You need to find something you are really passionate about. Replace your passion for rugby with something else.”

He said life changes quickly once you stop playing.

“It can be very scary. I know what it's like. When you are 24 years old you don't think about what is going happen down the line. Not even when you're 30 years old.”

Managing finances is also a key component in setting up for the future.

“You have to be frugal with your funds while you are playing rugby,” he advised.

“To build yourself back to that level takes a lot of effort. You have to be more aware and maybe have a mentor to help you through that. Someone who is interested in the human being and not the machine who makes money.”

Players in South Africa are increasingly aware of the pitfalls of an unplanned exit from the game. MyPlayers, their representative body, drives initiatives to help smooth the path to the next phase in life.

Financial stability, however, speaks only to one part of the problem. There is also the psychological impact of vacating a space which brought fame and the high life.

“It's like a loss of identity,” said Van Niekerk.

“For 20 years of your life you've been doing a specific thing and you are well known for that. Almost everyone who knows you, knows you are that. When that crumbles it is very easy to slip into depression and develop anxiety. That has been the fascinating thing for me over the past few of years, exploring that.

“Sportsmen come to that point in their life and sometimes there is suicide and bad things happen to players when they get to that point.

“They stop training and doing the thins that kept them healthy and vibrant and served their well being.”

He said seeking psychological help is one thing, but that players should try to maintain a routine.

“As a professional player your life is structured by these institutions that run our life for us. Everything is set. At the end of your career that too falls away. Where is the routine and the structure? Some turn to alcohol or drugs to make themselves feel better.”

Van Niekerk, who has spent the better part of the last decade running a wellness spa in Costa Rica, is in South Africa in between projects.

“My partner and I are going our separate ways. The spa is up for sale. When it is sold it will free me to do other things.”

While he will maintain a strong bond with the central American country, he said: “I have a feeling I will end up back in South Africa.”