Change your perception, they are ordinary people

One of the biggest questions on every sports fans lips is that are the sports people we see on the field the same off the field? Is Paul Gascoigne really a mad bastard? Has Tiger got the same kak chip-on-his shoulder attitude at home then her does on the course?

Obviously they have to have been normal people at some point, but somewhere along the way some sports personalities just loose their normality and change.

I was privileged enough to go to school with Bradley Habana, Brian Habanna’s older brother, he was a few years ahead of me, but a real nice guy who was in the first rugby team when I was a young overweight under 14 player. He took the time to sit with me at times and explain the finer points of the game, and coach me as to what its like playing in the first team.

Ill never forget that, he didn’t have to waste his time with a youngster like me but he did. Now a few years on, he has a top job at ABSA and has a brother who is a Springbok. And how he has changed. I didn’t expect him to recognise me when he saw me on the weekend, In fact I never even spoke to him, but I saw that he has picked up the arrogance that only fame and fortune can give. And that’s a pity.

Bradley’s brother, Brian Habanna, is the same age as me. We never played rugby against each other at school because he went to KES who play in a higher league then my school did. But we did play against each other at Varsity level for our respective fraternity houses, and we developed a loose friendship. I always joke that one day I was asking Brian when he was going to get his break and play for the Lions in the Super 12 and a year later he was a Springbok.

Rumours were rife in the Bok camp that Brian had changed when he became a Bok. He wasn’t the carefree cool guy he was before; he had developed an attitude and a tendency to rebel to authority.

But as with all things, the few affect the public’s view on the many. And we get the feeling that all sports people don’t really have time for the plebs.

My friend Candice came up to Gauteng to visit her mom for the weekend and was able to organise some free tickets to the Bulls vs Waikato Chiefs game on the weekend. She got this through her friendship with Chiefs fly half Steven Donald. After the game she got an sms that me and her should go on the jaul with the Chiefs.

Now bearing in mind my experiences with celebrities, you can understand my reluctance to go. But Candice wanted to see Steven so we went.

We ended up at Vaca Matta in Monte Casino where Steven Donald, Liam Messam, Sione Lauaki, Richard Kahui and a few of the junior players were drinking at the bar. Candice introduced me as her brother to avoid the awkwardness and the boys just accepted me in their group of friends and we partied hard together.

WOW WHAT AN EXPERIENCE. You spend your life watching these boys play their hearts out, playing rugby at the highest level, you idolise these boys, and then you end up drinking with them.

To offset the HEAT Magazine, no the boys were not pissed, and were very well behaved.

What surprised me is that the guys you never expected to party are the biggest partiers on the team. Speaking to Ben May, Chiefs prop, I said the last person I expected to bust some moves on the dance floor is the Big Man Sione Lauaki. He looks at me and says: “Ah Mate Lauaki loves this.”

Although all of the guys are great guys I really had the greatest time with new squad member Tobi Lynn. Before Sunday the 26th of April, Tobi Lynn had never tried a Hunters Dry. So he had one with me and didn’t stop with them the whole evening.

Every evening with Candice has classical chirps. At the bar Candice is running her mouth saying what a big Chiefs fan I am and that I am the most knowledgeable rugby person she has ever met. Donald, Lauaki, and Messam obviously thought she was talking crap so they threw the questions at me:
Lauaki: Which island is Taranaki on?
Me: North Island.
Donald: Capital of New Zealand?
Me: Wellington
Messam: Who had his testicle rucked off in a game against the Wallabies in the 1980s
Me: Buck Shelford.

And here comes the classical chirp: Richard Kahui who was watching this said: F’ing hell boys, he knows more about New Zealand rugby then 3 All Blacks.

Oh yes. To answer the question about if Paul Gascoigne is a nutter in real life, trust me, HE IS!