Springboks Star Sbu Nkosi Breaks Silence: “I Was In A Lot Of Pain” After Tragic Loss
- Springbok winger Sbu Nkosi revealed he lost his infant twins in 2022 and was expected to play rugby the same weekend
- Nkosi disappeared without telling anyone where he was going, leaving those around him fearing the worst
- The rugby player spoke candidly about his mental health battles in an interview on the Off The Pitch Rugby podcast
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Springbok winger Sbu Nkosi has broken his silence on one of the most painful chapters of his life, describing how the death of his twin babies in 2022 triggered a severe mental health crisis that ultimately led him to walk away from rugby without a word to anyone.
Nkosi made the revelations during an appearance on the podcast *Off The Pitch Rugby*, hosted by Darian Ducci, where he spoke at length about grief, survival and the pressure he faced to perform professionally while privately falling apart.
Nkosi describes losing his twins
The winger told Ducci that his darkest period began when his twin children died shortly after birth, and he was placed back on the rugby field within the same weekend, given no real space to grieve.
Nkosi revealed that he lost his twin babies shortly after their birth and had to return to rugby that same weekend, leaving him with little time to process the grief. He said the pain of losing his children was difficult to describe to anyone who had not experienced a similar loss.
The rugby player added that the unresolved grief affected him deeply, sending him into a downward spiral that eventually took a toll on his physical health.
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Disappearance and the decision to step away
At some point after the tragedy, Nkosi vanished without informing those around him of his location. Weeks passed with no contact, and people close to him feared the worst.
Reflecting on that decision, Nkosi acknowledged the impact it had on his rugby career but said he had no other choice at the time.
"It wasn't a very good decision for the rugby player, you know, but for the person to remain alive and living, I think it's a decision that I had to make. I'm very, very sorry. I was just in a lot of pain, and I wanted to finally find a way to fix it so that I could move on," he told Ducci.
He added that the pain from losing his twins had not faded:
"Most of it started with that moment, very, very heavy moments that I still feel with the same intensity today."
Rassie Erasmus shuts down All Blacks questions
Briefly News previously reported that Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus redirected Tuesday's pre-match press conference after journalists repeatedly steered questions toward the upcoming All Blacks series rather than Saturday's Rugby Championship clash against Argentina.
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Source: Briefly News
