For the Vodacom Bulls’ Stedman Gans, there is a lot going on right now.
As he prepares for his chance to run on for his 100th match for the Bulls against Benetton at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, he took time to reflect on a journey that worked its way from Vredenburg to Loftus, and everything in between.
And when he thinks back, he has one word for it: Blessed.
Gans isn’t your average rugby player. He owns a coffee roastery truck that is situated next to the Loftus Versfeld B-field, and often supplies the perfect blend for the post-training cappuccino.
He’s reading the book Diary of a CEO by Stephen Bartlett, trying to unlock some secrets to use not only in the team context or on the field, but to plot his moves when rugby is finally over for him.
The former Blitzbok knows that it is still a way away, of course, and he is currently revelling in his time at Loftus. So much so that he can’t wait to take the field again. One hundred games, a number that is an incredible achievement in professional rugby, but one that is just another milestone for a player who rose through the ranks and has excelled in every team he has played in.
“If I can describe my time here in Pretoria at the Bulls, it is one of the most blessed times in my life,” Gans says with a smile.
“I grew up in Vredenburg and some of my best friends were just as talented as rugby players. The reason I went to Pretoria was because my father got a job here, and we had to move. At that stage, I never even thought of rugby as a career after school.”
Gans was snatched up by Waterkloof Hoërskool, and his path flourished from there. The Sevens stint saw him head to the Tokyo Olympics, and he returned to the Bulls a better player.
Now, under coach Johan Ackermann, he has had opportunities all across the backline and is keen to pay that back with some superb form as the Bulls head towards the playoffs.
Gans has no problem filling in where needed, although he has primarily been used as a 13.
“I look at the responsibility of filling in where required as a privilege,” he believes. “You work so hard to be ready for when the opportunity comes, and you don’t want it to come from injuries to your teammates, but in rugby, your chance comes in a lot of different ways.
“Now I have an opportunity to cover all of those positions and have important roles in games. I have been working hard for a long time to be ready, so in that way it is exciting to have this responsibility come my way.”
He may have played 13 a lot more, but his emergence as a new-type 12 is something the Bulls have tried this season. Far from being a big ball carrier like Damian de Allende or Andre Esterhuizen, Gans has more of a nuanced outlook on the position.
“I think 13 is my favourite, maybe because out of the various positions, I have played 13 the longest time.
“I have not played 12 a lot, but I enjoy it because you get your hands on the ball more. You get more ball at 12 than you do at 13. My interpretation of 12 is that you have to take the line forward, and whether you do that by running over people or stepping them, or spinning out of tackles like Damian Willemse does, that is what you must do. You must find a way to move the attacking line forward. That is your job.”
Gans has a lot more to him than just the player on the field. A student who has been studying industrial psychology, the team environment gives him the perfect opportunity to test his theories, and he readily admits he wants to continue some sort of role like that after rugby.
But for now, it is his play on the field that will build the life off it.
And 100 games deep, Gans is smiling broader than ever.