‘I lost my kids’: Sbu Nkosi shares personal tragedy [video]
· The South African
Sbu Nkosi has shared the heartbreaking reason behind his decision to step away from his successful club rugby career in a tell-all interview. The former Springbok, who helped win the 2019 Rugby World Cup trophy in Japan, was believed to have battled mental health issues.
SBU NKOSI SHARES HEARTBREAKING PERSONAL TRAGEDY
Speaking in an interview with the Off The Pitch podcast, Sbu Nkosi shared new details about allegations that he absconded from his club at both the Bulls and the Sharks.
Visit rouesnews.click for more information.
The 30-year-old shared that his mental health had drastically declined after a personal tragedy.
He said, “I went through a period where I lost my kids, I had beautiful twins. After birth, they both passed away and I had to be back on the bandwagon and playing rugby on the same weekend.
“I never got a chance to process it the way that I needed to. I carried it with me, I was grieving, I couldnt understand, and it’s hard for anyone to understand until they’ve held their own cold baby in their arms.
“That, for me, was the beginning of a rollercoaster in my mind, because as a father, you naturally would like to protect your children, and things just happened in such a way that made me feel that I had no control or protection over my children.
Sbu Nkosi shared that the dark period made him physically ill, too. The World Cup champion used the opportunity to publicly apologise for his behaviour, particularly to his clubs.
He continued: “I have to be honest and say that I could’ve reacted better, I could’ve tried to be stronger. In some situations, I felt that I was being hard done by; I could’ve handled it better.
Sbu revealed that he had received psychological support while out of the public eye.
He added, “It wasn’t a good decision for the rugby player, for the person to remain alive and living. It’s a decision I had to make
“I’m sorry to everyone that it has affected. I was in a lot of pain and I needed to fix it so that i could move on.
Sbu thanked Bulls coach Jake White for his patience and support.
DOWNWARD SPIRAL
Sbu Nkosi has made headlines for all the wrong reasons during his professional rugby career.
In 2024, he was slapped with a three-year ban after testing positive for an anabolic steroid commonly used by bodybuilders. At the time, he was signed to the Cheetahs, who reportedly offered him a “lifeline”.
Just months before signing with the Gauteng club, Sbu Nkosi’s contract with the Bulls was terminated with immediate effect.
During his tenure at the club, Sbu went AWOL in 2022 and used his Instagram account to throw shade at his club.
According to TimesLive, Sbu – who cited mental health struggles for his absence – did the same at the Sharks, too.
Speaking in a press conference in 2023, Bulls boss Jake White expressed his concern about the player’s decline.
He said of Sbu: “He’s not playing well enough, he’s not training hard enough, I don’t see him enough for him to warrant selection above guys who have been training in the group anyway….I think he battles with whatever [that’s bothering him].
“My gut feeling is that I don’t think he battles with anything other than that he needs to get his life sorted”.
RUGBY CAREER BACK ON TRACK?
Due to a doping ban, Sbu Nkosi will only be eligible to play professional rugby again in 2027.
While he hasn’t given any details about a possible return to the pitch, Sbu has shared an update on his mental health.
He shared, “I am doing well, I can say I’m out of the cave. I feel the light on my skin and the wind in my hair. And I can feel my spirit being revived again.
Sbu added: “I felt like I was almost a shadow of the man I was supposed to be, and I needed to take a step back and fix the problem before it became a problem.”