I was in town to cover the Springboks’ Rugby Championship match against Argentina. But he wasn’t part of the squad after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition in 2015.
He was basically told he will never play rugby again, and after being rejected by Toulon and the Stormers, he was trying to get a contract with the Southern Kings and had been training with them for about a week.
I got wind that Hendricks was in town and organised a get-together to chat about his health and the prospect of returning to professional rugby after keeping fit for his beloved Roses Rugby Club in his home town of Wellington.
Before that meeting we only had brief chats during chance encounters on the golf course. At the time he was coy about what he had been going through after his Springbok career was cut short in his prime after just 14 Tests in the green and gold.
But when he walked into the restaurant, he looked like his old chirpy self. Like the guy who always enjoyed to joke around and poke a little bit of fun. His trial with the Kings was going really well and he was excited to be given another chance to play at a top level again.
He certainly ate like a guy hungry for success again … and as it was me who invited him out for dinner, I offered to pay the bill. The meal set me back half of my week’s allowance, with the first life lesson being revealed to me … never invite a big Springbok out to dinner and offer to pay!
But that catch-up was amazing and you could sense he had never given up hope of one day playing for the Springboks again. His heart was a problem, but it was still in the right place.
However, the next morning when I reached out again to find out if the Kings deal was done, Hendricks told me he was already back home after he was blocked from joining the Kings because of fears pertaining to his heart condition.
It was a big blow, but Hendricks had driven back to Wellington from the Eastern Cape through the night and went straight back to Roses to help the team reach the final of Boland’s premier club competition, scoring many tries in the process.
It would be another two years before Hendricks would play at the top level again after the Bulls took a chance on the speedster and his heart.
But during that time, though, Hendricks started his foundation to try and help make the path to success a little smoother for tomorrow’s heroes who come from underprivileged households. He was once one of those kids, who didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth or went to one of the big rugby schools. He had to work hard to make his mark in this life.
“People blame their circumstances if they don’t make it. But there are a lot of people who have actually managed to rise up above their circumstances,” Hendricks said.
“It’s just about giving the kids that stepping stone. I think there’s a lot of talent out there, not only in sport, but academically as well.”
It’s probably that resilience that got him through those four years when he couldn’t play at the highest level. The struggle in the early part of his life gave him the tools to face life head on.
However, he soon made up for lost time when he signed for the Bulls, looking like a player reborn. The stepping, swerving and lethal finisher Cornal Hendricks was back with a big bang.
A couple of years after signing for the Bulls, he won the Super Rugby Unlocked title and the Currie Cup with the Pretoria side, winning the player of the tournament for the latter competition in the 2021-22 season.
He certainly didn’t take the second chance for granted …
“When I lost everything, when I lost my contract … when I went back to do the foundation work, I actually learned how to appreciate life,” Hendricks said during his time with the Bulls.
In 2022, Hendricks was close to Springbok selection after playing a starring role for Jake White’s team at inside centre. However, he was left out of the squad after then-Bok coach Jacques Nienaber confirmed that the SA Rugby medical team had not given him the “green light” for selection.
In 2024 his career came full circle when joined the Boland Cavaliers where his professional rugby journey started by moving back to his home town in Wellington.
Over the weekend, Boland returned to the Currie Cup Premier Division after years fighting in the First Division. It was Hendricks’ dream to see his home town flourish again.
I’m thankful that he could at least celebrate this triumph before his untimely death.
And this is where the second life lesson comes in. A life lesson for all of us. Never give up on your dreams, no matter the circumstances or the obstacles.
Cornal Hendricks never gave up on his dreams.
Rest easy Cornal, how I wish we could have one more dinner. I would gladly pay that bill again.