Share

Maxwane takes career turmoil in his stride

accreditation
Sibahle Maxwane during a Pro14 match against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade, Wales. Picture: Mark Lewis/Huw Evans Agency/Gallo Images
Sibahle Maxwane during a Pro14 match against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade, Wales. Picture: Mark Lewis/Huw Evans Agency/Gallo Images

Of all the stimuli for performance in sport, few are as effective as rejection.

Two years ago, Sibahle “Rabz” Maxwane seemed to be a man on a rapid trajectory at the Blue Bulls, having scored eight tries in helping Tuks win the Varsity Cup, scoring four tries (including a hat-trick) in the few games he played for the SuperSport Rugby Challenge team and making his Super Rugby debut at 21 years old.

Yet by the end of that year, he was no longer in their plans and scrambling to find a team with just two weeks left before the end of October, which would have meant the window was closing on his moving to another team.

Two weeks ago, Maxwane was the talk of Dublin at the Pro14 year-end function. This was thanks as much to the flashy suit he wore to the event as to accepting the award for the competition’s top try-scorer (14) for the Cheetahs, the team that took a punt on him after a quiet word from Pote Human.

To bastardise Sir Alex Ferguson’s favourite saying: “Rugby, bloody hell!” Maxwane is reluctant to be out-and-out grateful about being turfed out of Loftus, but he concedes how well it has worked out for him.

“I felt like I was still going to build at the Bulls because the opportunities were there and, the next minute, I wasn’t part of their plans,” he remembers.

“For me, it was a lesson – a lesson that gave me a wake-up call that, as much as you’re doing well, you’re never doing enough. Every time you get a chance, you need to make use of it.

“But I think it was a good move because, at the Bulls, besides Jamba [Ulengo] and Travis [Ismaiel], it wasn’t clear who was in the mix and, unluckily, I couldn’t play myself into the team because I got concussed.”

Cheetahs'; Sibahle “Rabz” Maxwane, Southern Kings' Chumani Bambani and Yaw Penxe at the Guinness PRO14 Awards at the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin last week. Picture: James Crombie / NPHO

The story of how Maxwane made his Super Rugby debut against the Lions and was all but finished weeks later bears telling insofar as it outlines how callous and impatient the so-called big rugby unions can be.

Maxwane suffered a heavy concussion during that debut and was out until the Currie Cup, and by the time he was back, New Zealander John Mitchell – a coach he was excited to work with, having seen him operate from the sidelines – was in charge and he practically had to start all over again.

“After I played a number of games under him, it was strange because he said: ‘You can be a good player. I think you can play Super Rugby, you just have to put on size.’ It seemed everything revolved around size, he was worried about my size.”

The Cheetahs have had no such concerns about his 1.86m and 86kg frame, indulging his willingness to trust his electric running and have a crack at it.

Maxwane is clear about why things have worked in Bloemfontein: “It is hard work and opportunity. I’ve been given the opportunity and been backed. I’m not worried about what occurs after I make a mistake. There’s no thinking that maybe I won’t play next week...

“[Cheetahs coach] Franco [Smith] is not a coach who’ll fault you for a mistake, he looks at your effort. Playing continuously has also helped a lot because I get to learn more about the game by playing different teams and having to use [my] brain.”

While the Pro14 is an out-of-mind, out-of-sight competition for most South Africans, Maxwane says it’s not lacking in pedigree, even though it took some getting used to.

“It’s a great competition with a lot of internationals from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy, so everything you do, you have to be on point and clinical.

“The teams that side are more detail-oriented, which makes you do your work as well to compete with them. Looking at the weather, at some point we’ve had to adapt. I remember when I played my first game against Cardiff; I wished I had pockets in my shorts it was so cold. But when we went back, my body had adjusted.”

Looking ahead, Maxwane will only say he wants to improve his game. If he does want inspiration on what can happen from a hopeless situation, though, he should look no further than Bok and Lions wing Aphiwe Dyantyi’s rise from having given up the game to scoring – and winning – against the All Blacks.

The two played second- and third-team rugby at Dale College – with Dyantyi at 10 and 15, and Maxwane at centre and wing – and first-team soccer together, so knowing him personally should convince Maxwane of what’s possible.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you believe that the various planned marches against load shedding will prompt government to bring solutions and resolve the power crisis?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes
21% - 103 votes
No
79% - 399 votes
Vote