Springboks talisman Eben Etzebeth has named the biggest achievement of his life and issued a warning to his country’s rivals ahead of their upcoming 2024 Test schedule.
The 32-year-old is now in London getting ready for this Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final match between the Sharks and Clermont at Twickenham Stoop.
Away from the training field, he and Vincent Koch, his club and national teammate, stopped by The Rugby Pod studio to speak with Jim Hamilton, the former Scotland international, and guest presenter Dan Biggar, who was Etzebeth’s teammate at Toulouse the previous season before the South African forward moved home in anticipation of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Etzebeth joined with the Sharks knowing he and his wife were going to start a kid, and the second row has referred to the arrival of their child as the nicest thing that has ever occurred.
When Hamilton asked Eztebeth about her life since the Springboks beat the All Blacks in the Paris final six months prior, she replied, “It’s been great.” We didn’t have much break after the World Cup because we had around two weeks to process everything before returning to the Sharks.
“Most of those memories come back to you when you see Chasing the Sun, and wow, all the stress of those last three games winning by one point, it was incredible reliving that again. But no, otherwise good. Life is good in Durban. Although winter is coming to South Africa, Durban never experiences it. Excellent weather every time.
The child is three months old right now. Fantastic to be a father. Most likely the greatest accomplishment of my life. Indeed, the hardest as well. Dads always tell me that until you hold a child for the first time, it’s impossible to describe the feeling. It’s amazing.
Turning his attention to rugby, Biggar questioned Etzebeth about his future goals after leading South Africa to consecutive World Cup victories. In response, Eztebeth highlighted the appeal of a full Test schedule in 2024 as opposed to 2020, when the pandemic severely limited their first year as world champions.
