Ruan Nortje knows that becoming a Springbok rugby player is a big thing and that once you’re there, you have to work twice as hard to keep your spot.
That’s why the 26-year-old lock from Pretoria will treat every second on the park in the Green and Gold of the national team as if it’s his last in that jumper.
Bulls captain Nortje has been capped six times by South Africa – the first of those matches coming against Wales in Bloemfontein in 2022.
After that debut off the bench, he didn’t play a single Test in 2023 before returning to the team in this year’s Rugby Championship to earn a further five caps.
The thing is, if Nortje played his rugby in any other country in the world, he would have had a lot more caps to date. But such is the nature in SA that good locks often never get to wear the famous jersey of the world champions.
And that’s why Nortje knows that if you get an opportunity to play, you better grab it with both hands.
As they prepare to face Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday in the first match of their overseas tour, Nortje says: “South Africa is a place where locks are bred, so I always know it’s a tough position to be in.
“But that’s an awesome challenge and it’s always been something I’ve been dreaming of since I was a young boy. In my wildest dreaming, I wouldn’t even have dreamt of being where I am today. But that just shows you that hard work can pay off.
“I’m just privileged to be where I am and blessed with opportunities to be in this position.
“For me, it’s all about every opportunity I have to wear the Springbok jersey, I have to wear it like it’s my last time because there are so many quality players and each time can be your last time.
“For me it’s about embracing every opportunity and representing my country and enjoying representing my country.”
Coach Rassie Erasmus will name his squad for Scotland tomorrow.