'I needed time to find my centre again': Sbu Nkosi returns to Bulls training

While the Bulls are excited to welcome exciting Springbok wing Sbu Nkosi back to training, the franchise won’t rush him for competitive rugby.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup-winner rejoined his teammates at training on Wednesday after he had taken a break to deal with his mental health issues.

The Bulls reported Nkosi as missing in December after he went Awol for three weeks and was later found safe at his father’s house in Emalahleni in Mpumalanga.

The franchise confirmed on Thursday Nkosi is part of the squad preparing for the upcoming United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup.

Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone said it’s a joy to have Nkosi back after the difficult journey the player has gone through to get back on his feet.

“He returns to a family that has been waiting for this moment with bated breath and we just are extremely blessed to have him run around again,” Rathbone said.

“I applaud his bravery to want to get back up and not only that but to pursue his rugby dream yet again. He is a talented player with plenty to offer the world of rugby, and I am confident his story now transcends rugby more than it may have before.

“His story inspires many among us as the Bulls family and I hope many South Africans and rugby fans across the globe will look at him and be encouraged to get up and try again whenever they tumble.

“Sbu has some time to spend with the high-performance team to make sure his integration into the environment is done accordingly but there are no better specialists in sports science than those we have working with us. So I am comfortable that he is in the best hands possible.

“Of course, there is the temptation to want to fast-track things and focus on a return-to-play timeline but that is not important right now. We are just happy to have him with us and as the process takes care of the business, I am confident that we will see him running out soon.”

Nkosi said that he has been looking forward to returning to training.

“It took some time but I am happy that I am back where I belong and that would have never been possible without the love and kindness I have received,” he said.

“The overflow of support allowed me to find comfort and confidence that I am no lesser human being for acknowledging and accepting I am not OK.

“The support I received allowed me to find my feet again and the only thing I can do now is pay it forward so others can be empowered to know the sun will rise again, even when it does not look like it.

“Rugby has been everything to me but for a while, because of life, I had lost that connection and needed to take time away so I could find my centre again and rezone. Thankfully, the company and team, Edgar [Rathbone] and Jake [White] allowed me that time to be away and it has meant the world of good for me, my family and my health. Not many people get this opportunity and that is not lost on me,”

“I come back committed and willing to put in the yards as my way of paying back all the support I received,”

“It feels wildly refreshing to be able to say I am back and I am raring to go! The fire within is brewing and I cannot wait to set foot in the stadium again.”

Former Sharks coach Sean Everitt, meanwhile, has joined the Bulls on a short-term deal that will see him work in their technical team for the 2023 Currie Cup season.