The Blue Bulls Company has agreed to terminate Springbok winger S’bu Nkosi’s contract with the union by mutual consent and he will leave the side with immediate effect, it was announced on Monday.
Nkosi, who lasted just longer than one season at the Bulls, has no new club that he has signed for, but will leave as a free agent after the relationship between him and the Bulls soured over the past few months.
It is a sad end to a saga which saw Nkosi go missing for three weeks last year, prompting a massive search that included the police and the Bulls security company sponsors after he went AWOL from the team.
Nkosi was eventually found at his father’s house in Emalahleni, and cited mental health issues for the disappearance.
While there was an overwhelming outpouring of public support over a top international player struggling with mental issues and the Bulls were praised for the way they supported their player in his darkest moment, the story then took a dark turn..
Nkosi returned to training and played his first game back against the DHL Stormers but since then has only played a handful of games.
?? S'bu Nkosi marked his return to rugby with a try against the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld, a pleasure to see him back!pic.twitter.com/BKgIorptrh
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 19, 2023
STRUGGLED WITH WORKLOAD
Despite the support the Bulls have been giving him, he struggled with the workload at training and, according to those at the Bulls, has not trained well with his teammates.
At the request of the doctor helping him deal with his mental issues, the Bulls gave him another three weeks off to try and work on these and return a more focused player.
Nkosi, according to team-sources, returned after five weeks, two weeks longer than expected and never informed the Bulls of the extra time he took off.
The Bulls, who were sympathetic at first, felt - according to sources - as if Nkosi was taking advantage of the situation. For their investment in him - which comes to around R5-million a season - they were receiving very little in return.
There was also a feeling inside the camp that Nkosi has a different set of rules and responsibilities than the rest of the side, and this has caused friction with other players.
BARBARIAN APPEARANCE
The Bulls did, however, accede to a request to let him play for the Barbarians, where he scored a try, in the hope that it would kickstart his career again and get him back into the right mindset to play for the Pretoria side.
Perhaps the most exciting non-try in quite some time?
— Philip Bendon (@PBendon) May 31, 2023
S’Bu Nkosi is reminding SA Rugby fans of what he could bring to the Bok backline ahead of the Rugby Championship.
What a spectacular athlete. #springbokrugby #sbunkosi #Rugby pic.twitter.com/93gF615IYK
But after the game, a social media post by Nkosi angered his employers again, and he was called in by Director of Rugby Jake White to explain himself - a meeting that by all accounts started badly and never got better after that.
Nkosi’s post on Instagram, which read: “It was reviving (sic) to my passion, to spend a mere week with men who are pure of heart. A break from being judged by men who are bigger in their minds than they are in reality.”
Whether this was intended or not, it has been interpreted as a swipe against his team and against White, and the outspoken coach expressed his disappointment when being asked about it at the next media opportunity.
“It would be sad if that happens. I don’t think anybody – I’ve got kids his age – go from being a World Cup winner into not being guaranteed of playing rugby. He is a talented player,” White said.
“I am very disappointed with what he wrote on social media. He knows it, I’ve had a meeting with him. Considering the Bulls let him go and play in a game overseas, to read the comments he made was obviously disappointing.
“But as I said, he’s got to make decisions. He is a big boy now, and he’s got to make decisions about where he wants to go. And it’s not always in anyone else’s hands other than the player.
“But at this point in time, he is not playing well enough, he is not training hard enough, and I don’t see him enough for him to warrant selection above guys who have been training in the group anyway.
“It’s not for me to discuss a guy’s future. As I said, he is a big boy now. He’s a World Cup-winning Springbok and he’s got to make decisions now about where he wants to be, and he’s got to make sure those decisions are in the best interests of himself and the club.”
SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOME
Nkosi does not have a another club to turn to at the moment, and behind the scenes his agent Anthony Johnson is searching for a new home for him.
The Stormers rubbished a claim he was in negotiations with them and it doesn’t seem a local side has the appetite to sign him, meaning a move overseas is on the cards.
The Cell C Sharks were happy to release him after he also went AWOL while contracted to them and Nkosi has also parted ways with his agents ROC Nation.
Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone thanked Nkosi for his time and wished him well on his future journey, but the move did seem to confirm that both parties could not find a way for Nkosi to continue at the Bulls.
The club would like to thank Sbu for the contributions he made during his time at Loftus Versfeld, and wishes him well for his future endeavours.https://t.co/DzLP60Ym4W
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 26, 2023
“I would like to thank Sbu for all that he has contributed towards our campaigns during his time with us. I know that it wasn’t an easy time for him personally, but I am confident that the support we provided to him was invaluable,” Rathbone said.
“Having a Springbok winger of his calibre in our team has been a pleasure. I know that he now feels as though it is the best time to move on and we respect his wishes.”
Nkosi has also fallen out of favour with the Springboks with the little game time on the field and the rise of other wingers contributing to him not making the Springbok squad again.