Bongi Mbonambi Reflects on His Childhood in Bethlehem in Video: “Rugby Saved Me From the Worst”

• Springboks frontline ho0ker Bongi Mbonambi gets candid about what rugby means to him
• The bubbly athlete who comes from the Bohlokong township of Bethlehem says the sport saved his life
• Hearing his story days after he was accused of racial slurs against an English flanker, Mzansi pledged its loyalty even more

Bongi Mbonambi, the frontline ho0ker of the Springboks, has opened the lid about his humble beginnings.

He got candid about how the boy who used makeshift balls in the dusty streets using orange bags of Bethlehem became the deputy captain of the national rugby team.

Bongi Mbonambi reflects on how he fell in love with rugby as a kid

The athlete said in a short interview on the official Springbok YouTube account that was 10 years old when he started playing rugby at his private school and would come back home and teach his friends at the Bohlokong township:

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"We’d play anywhere, wherever there was an open ground, or in the middle of the streets. We’d play almost the whole day until it gets dark.

“We didn’t have grass patches where we could play tackle, so we’d play touchies, but then things would get out of hand and turn into tackle. And that’s how my love for rugby started.

“Those are the good memories I have of my first love for rugby. I think rugby saved me from the worst side of life and showed me a better side and I’m glad that I found my passion for it and my love for it.”

Watch the interview in the video below:

Social media users show love for Mbonambi

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This is what Mzansi had to say about the champion following his racial slur allegations:

@Angolsh confessed:

"I love this man. Respect Sir!"

@ezilemxo encouraged:

"Take heart, my guy, South Africa is behind you, continue to fly our flag high."

@jobsmokoena said:

"Now a whole nation that can't stand losing against you and Africans want to reverse all your gains, just like they did with Castor Semenya."

@Simplejnr01 commended:

"Keep up the good work Bongi Mbonambi."

@kimi_db assured:

"The whole nation is behind you Bongi! Thank you for all you put into the sport we love so much! Ngiyabonga! Inhlonipho kuwe mnumzane."

@Jabulani_Jivo added:

"We love and stand by you."

AKA's support for Springboks resurfaces from 2019

In more rugby stories on Briefly News, some messages of support for the Boks from AKA have resurfaced.

Those who followed the slain multi-award-winning rapper knew how big of a Springboks fan he was, making the messages touch hearts.

Source: Briefly News