Venter giving back more than he takes

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Springbok and Stormers hooker Andre-Hugo Venter's childhood was like no other.

Son to legendary former Bok Andre Venter, Andre-Hugo was just a five years old when his father was diagnosed with Transverse myelitis, a condition that has kept him confined to a wheelchair ever since.

Springbok stars would regularly visit the Venter household and it was almost inevitable that Andre-Hugo would go on to become a professional rugby player, just like his dad.

So what growing up like for the 23-year-old? "I think growing up you don't see him as another person, he's more your dad," Venter said. "Most of the rugby stories from his career I normally hear from different people, not him.

"If you say you remember my dad, I get a nice warm feeling, and I know he contributed in a sense that – he left an impact."

"But growing up, guys like Juan Smith would come over and play rugby with me and my dad would always be there sitting and watching on. He would always make plans so someone could come over and pass, and kick, and run with me.

"I didn't really understand, growing up, all these names – everybody knew them but I knew them more as family friends and didn't really have that look of 'Wow, this is this person or this person' until I got a bit older and started to realise who they actually were.

"To me, they were just very large men, coming from training, looking very tired and now they have to pass a rugby ball with me!"

Andre-Hugo displayed promising talent from a young age, representing the South African schools team in 2019. He attended the renowned Grey College in Bloemfontein, where he played two years of first-team rugby.

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His exceptional performance for Maties in the Varsity Cup caught the attention of the Stormers, who offered him a contract in late 2020. Then in 2022, he helped the Cape franchise win the inaugural Vodacom URC, scoring a try in the Grand Final as they defeated the Vodacom Bulls 18-13.

He made his Springbok debut last summer, scoring a try in their 64-21 win over Portugal, an achievement that was very special for him and his bond with his father.

"A lot of people play rugby for a lot of different reasons, nobody is the same," he said. "Everyone has their own unique reason but for me personally, I play rugby because it's one of the ways I connect with my dad.

"There's a lot of things we can't do together – I can't go play golf with him or whatever. But rugby is one of those things where I know if I play, I can give him a bit of joy and make him proud in a sense.

"So for me, becoming a Springbok – it was the ultimate gift that I could give my father. To wear the green and gold and represent the country."

But the rising young star will never forget where he came from. As far as he's concerned, it's his duty to give back more than he took. "You must remember the things that made the biggest contribution to your life," he said.

"And for me personally, schoolboy rugby, the school where I grew up, the rich rugby heritage that's in the school as well. As much as I can, the games that I can watch, or physically be at –  I do as much as I can to go watch them.

"When I was playing there you would see in the crowd, Springboks like Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, come and support the first team and schoolboy rugby – and you remember the massive impact that had on your life.

"Playing in a schoolboy game and you see in the crowd there's 10 Springboks watching the game. You have to give back where you took a lot from. You try and give back more than you actually took."

Photo: ©INPHO/James Crombie

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