ADVERTISEMENT
RugbyDump
REGISTER
LOGIN
ADVERTISEMENT
RugbyDump
Monday Jul 1, 2019

Cornal Hendricks’ touching message after courageous comeback season

Bulls winger Cornal Hendricks has taken to Instagram at the end his first season back in Super Rugby after retiring in 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 12-cap Springbok said that he felt “like a child again” at the beginning of the season, after a heart defect had seemingly ended his career four years ago. Since then, the 31-year-old has been cleared to play, and was given a chance by the three-time Super Rugby champions.

This is what he shared:

View this post on Instagram

I started the year 2019 feeling like a child again. I was fresh and excited to be able to play the game I fell in love with. The Super Rugby season started off slowly for me personally but I gradually began to feel fitter, stronger and more hungry than ever before. Towards the end of the SR season it started to show when I started to score tries again. We couldn't get to the final in the end but I am grateful to everyone at the Bulls – Coach Pote and his management team, my team mates and off course the fans who stuck with us through our trials and tribulations. I also became a dad and I would like to thank my wife Stephanie and daughter Calsey for being true ysters and holding the fort whilst I am in Pretoria. To my family and friends thank you for the support through the good and the bad times. I know there are calls for me to don the Green and Gold again and naturally I'm keen but we are blessed with great wings at the moment. I will however keep dreaming and trust in our Creator as I have done through the good and bad times. For now I am focused on having a successful Currie Cup campaign with the Bulls. Baie dankie aan almal vir die ondersteuning. #CH14 #TheWellingtonExpress

A post shared by Cornal Hendricks (@cornalhendricks) on

The Bulls crashed out of the competition in the quarter-final stage against the Hurricanes, a game where Henricks grabbed a brace of tries. In fact, the former South Africa Sevens star hit a rich vein of form towards the end of the season, as he said that he “gradually began to feel fitter, stronger and more hungry than ever before.”

Hendricks also spoke of the “good and bad times”, which there would have been plenty over the past four years. European giants Toulon declined a move for the winger in 2016 based on his medical history, as his career looked increasingly to be over after a glimmer of hope. However, the Bulls’ gamble this season has paid off both for him and the team.

Furthermore, his form at the back end of the season led to a number of calls for a recall to the Springboks, and while he did not make it into Rassie Erasmus’ most recent squad ahead of the Rugby Championship, he has said that he is still keen to represent his country again.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, he has said that his focus remains on the upcoming Currie Cup, as he will surely be desperate to play as much rugby as possible after so long out.

This is one of rugby’s feel-good stories this year, and what’s more is that he clearly feels that he has a lot more to give. He said that at the beginning of the season he was “fresh and excited to be able to play the game I fell in love with,” and he will no doubt continue to work to play for the Springboks again.

He masterfully finished two great against the Hurricanes in the Quarter Finals. Watch them both here, starting with the first in the 33rd minute.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles

  • 34 WEEKS AGO

    Crazy scenes as player deliberately kicks...

  • 36 WEEKS AGO

    Jokester has field day with Chris Latham's...

  • 36 WEEKS AGO

    Eddie Jones goes off on fan in shocking new...



ADVERTISEMENT

Great Tries

  • 2 DAYS AGO

    Incredible Camera Work During URC Clash Shows Rugby Player’s Athleticism

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Heart Breaking Six Nations Ending For Italy As Scotland Score Long Range Try

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Montpellier Number Eight Zach Mercer Outlandish Attacking Skill

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    Damian Penaud Pulls Off a "van der Merwe" in Outrageous French Try

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    Ireland Winger James Lowe With World Class Finish In Titanic Battle With France

View All

Big Hits & Dirty Play

  • 3 HOURS AGO

    Close Up Angle Of La Rochelle Secondrow Will Skelton Laying Into Opposition

  • 1 DAY AGO

    Referee Luke Pearce Gets Hit Hard In Harlequins vs Saracens Clash

  • 2 DAYS AGO

    Owen Farrell On The Receiving End Of An Illegal Hit

  • 5 DAYS AGO

    Refereeing Legend Nigel Owens Breaks Down Freddie Steward Incident

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    England and Ireland fans express disappointment in grand slam refereeing decisions

View All

See It To Believe It

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    Ardie Savea Moment Of Magic In Super Rugby Aotearoa

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    'Armchair athletes' berate Arundell's seriously impressive bench press

  • 7 WEEKS AGO

    Worcester Warriors - The End

  • 8 WEEKS AGO

    Sevens magic as 'headed' try brings stadium to its feet

  • 10 WEEKS AGO

    Almost 35,000 have now signed petition to reverse new grassroots tackle laws

View All

Funnies

  • 5 DAYS AGO

    Whole Irish squad turn up to teammates parents house for drinking session

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    Jonathan Sexton Fantastic Comeback Caught On Ref Mic

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Hilarious Footage Of English Players Post Leg Day Workout

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Mack Hansen leaves viewers in stitches with hilarious post-match interview mistake

  • 6 WEEKS AGO

    A Look Back At Rugby’s Greatest Ever Film

View All

Amateur

  • 11 WEEKS AGO

    You Won’t See Many Better Than This Silky-Smooth Try From Llandovery RFC

  • 11 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes As Caldy RFC Hand Ealing First Championship Defeat Of The Season

  • 34 WEEKS AGO

    Dubious Score Decides Result Of Rugby's Biggest Schools Fixture

  • 34 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes At School Boys Rugby Match

  • 35 WEEKS AGO

    The Next Dominant Backrow?

View All

Player Features

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Youth and experience combine in an effort to repeat Six Nations upset

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Wales international releases emotional statement after being offered contract that isn’t enough to feed family

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    Ardie Savea causes outrage with ‘throat slitting’ gesture

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Smith, Marchant and Murley released from England camp to take part in 'Big Game 14'

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Mack Hansen leaves viewers in stitches with hilarious post-match interview mistake

View All