As one of most senior and accomplished Cobras men; Dugald 'The Weatherman', is busy making controversial waves in Oxford academic circles, he has somehow managed to take time off from all the 'studying and sex' (his words), to review Bakkies Botha's new book; Eat, Pray, Ruck, which is set for release after the World Cup. As you mentally and physically gear up for tonight's massive game outing against Ubumbo, enjoy this enlightening sneak peak at what I predict to be this years bestseller (you should probably pre-order it from Kalahari now as Exclusives will be sold out come October. Dont say i didnt warn you.).
‘Eat, pray, ruck’ provides unique insight into the world of one of professional rugby’s most controversial and misunderstood players. This autobiography, co- authored by close friend and teammate Guthro Steenkamp, sheds light on the humbling tale that is the life of John Philip “Bakkies” Botha. Botha opens up time and again over the hardships of growing up in the coal mining town of Newcastle in Kwa- Zulu Natal. His parents, Sally and Ian Botha, did their best to bring him up ‘proper’ (as Bakkies says) but still he struggled to stay out of trouble. Having been born 4’5” and 35kg, and then shooting up to 6’3” by the age of nine, Bakkies would always be labelled an aggressor and a trouble maker by parents and authorities. A label he still wears today. In Eat, pray, ruck, Bakkies digs into his past to identify the root of his pain and anger. For four relentless Chapters Guthro and Bakkies take us through Botha’s painful and troubled youth. The authors make no apologies for their style, which is not dissimilar to a schizophrenic attempting to write a diary.
Finally, in Chapter 5 we discover the truth behind Botha’s aggressive nature. In what can only be described as truly profound self- reflection, Bakkies Botha explains that the fundamental reason for his extreme aggression is the fact that despite his strong Afrikaans heritage he would, having been born in Kwa- Zulu Natal, be expected to play for the Sharks when he matured into the professional rugby player that everyone knew he would become. Stylistically the book struggles for flow, but true emotion shown in these types of realisations are hard to come by in the world of sport. Now, and only now, is the rugby world coming to grips with this shocking revelation. Knowing what we know now- that Bakkies suffered terribly from inselachophobia (fear of becoming a shark), I am sure that the rugby world can once and for all forgive him for all his wrong doings on the pitch. No man should have to go through life knowing that they are expected to play for the Sharks one day. Like paedophilia, human trafficking and children in poverty, this is one of the worst burdens for a child to bear.
Springbok teammate and Provincial opponent Gio Aplon had this to say having read Bakkies’ book:
“When Bakkies head butted me that day at Newlands, as he has done many times before, I wanted him banned from rugby for life. I hated him. But now, now you tell me how he grew up angry and why he has all this aggression- I realise that it is fair. Bakkies, I am sorry you had to go through that. Had I grown up knowing what you knew I think I would have ended up a gangster. And I thought I had it rough in the flats.”
His fear of becoming a shark ran so deep that even when offered a R2 million bribe to join the Sharks in 2006, he flatly refused the offer.
From Chapter 5 onwards we learn how Bakkies turned his fortunes around. When he finally realised that he did not necessarily have to play for the Sharks his life changed forever. This news was like a message from God and so with his move to the Bulls Bakkies also became deeply religious. Finding freedom helped him to find religion. The expression; ‘he prays before he slays’, is born from Bakkies’ pre- game ritual of praying to God and thanking him for allowing him to change his path, a path that previously led to King’s Park in Durban. Despite his newly found spirituality, Bakkies still remained incredibly aggressive and dangerous on the field. It seemed he welcomed his newly acquired nickname; ‘the enforcer.’ However, what most people don’t realise is that when he prays he thanks God for allowing him the choice of not having to go to the Sharks, thus enabling all those old feelings of pain and anger to resurface. When he goes out onto the pitch these emotions can sometimes push him over that fine line between positive aggression and utter chaos. The controversial, ‘Justice 4’, campaign in the 2009 British Lion tour to South Africa was a statement from the Springboks to highlight Bakkies’ innocence, trying to expose the real reason for Bakkies’ aggression. Having heard about it after the game the ‘victim’, Adam Jones, had this to say:
"Botha shouldn't have been banned for it, nowhere near it. I don't have any complaints.” I grew up in a comfy Welsh mining village- I have no right to judge Bakkies given his terrible past. You see, in the Northern hemisphere we just aren’t exposed to the horrors of the developing world- like possibly playing for the Sharks.”
All things considered ‘Eat, pray, ruck’ is a well- balanced and truly inspirational sporting autobiography that really cuts to the core of what it is to be a misunderstood sportsman in the limelight. The timing for Botha couldn’t be any better with one sporting journalist claiming that:
“Bakkies Botha contributes to the sport of rugby in much the same way as the Old Testament contributes to the Christian faith- with a violent passion that was only really acceptable two hundred years ago."
Quite possibly the most accurate description of Botha’s character by any sports journalist in South Africa to date. Nonetheless ‘Eat, pray, ruck’ makes no excuses and helps to cement the reader’s view of Bakkies Botha as one of the greatest Springboks of all time.
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