14 Aug 2018 | By Michael Vlismas
The real miracle of Lions rugby
Former Emirates Lions and Springbok prop Julian Redelinghuys went tiger fishing on the Zambezi with Vodacom Red.
Julian Redelinghuys looks out over the Zambezi River and with a huge smile declares, “How beautiful is this, hey? What a privilege”.
Redelinghuys uses the word “privilege” a lot as a man who understands its meaning better than most. Here on the banks of the Zambezi, Redelinghuys is part of a group of Vodacom Red clients who in July won the experience of a lifetime to go tiger fishing on one of Africa’s most iconic rivers.
For Redelinghuys, simply being able to fish is a privilege.
In 2016, the former Emirates Lions prop had achieved his dream of becoming a Springbok and his career was taking off. Then he was blindsided by a moment he never saw coming.
“In 2016 I was sort of riding the crest of this amazing wave in my career. I’d just played against the All Blacks for the first time in my career as a Springbok. It was a dream come true. Then I was offered a Springbok contract. My wife was five months pregnant, so life was good. Then that next Saturday I broke my neck playing against the Cheetahs in the semi-final of the Currie Cup.”
Ever the optimist, Redelinghuys remembers asking the doctor about the end-of-year Springbok tour and making his own plans to be ready for that. But then the reality of his injury became clear.
“I had hoped to play again, but there were four vertebrae fused in my neck and the risk was just too great. With a young family it just wouldn’t have been a clever decision to carry on playing and risk it, no matter how much I wanted to and how much passion I still had to play rugby.”
It was a miracle Redelinghuys wasn’t paralysed. But the real miracle was the way he responded to the collapse of one dream, and started chasing another – inspiring the young players of the Emirates Lions.
“When I finished rugby I decided I was going to try a few things and see what I like. The problem is that I enjoyed everything I tried. So I’m busy with quite a few things now, one of which is still being involved with the Emirates Lions, which is a great privilege."
“I’m working as a mentor for some of the younger players, and then I also help some of the senior players with their finances. Financial planning is a great passion of mine. And I’m also involved in property and even a bit of farming. I’m blessed to have so many options.”
His message to the younger players is to dream big but be grateful for the smallest blessings in their lives.
“With my injury, the people around me carried me. I give them a lot of credit. My wife, my parents and my brother and sister were incredible during that whole process. But I think it boils down to just making a choice as to how you are going to deal with something like this. It starts with you, and gratitude is a very big part of that process. I’m grateful to be able to wake up every morning and not be in a wheelchair, and to be able to throw my daughter in the air and run around with her. That’s the choice you have. It’s not always that simple of course, but it starts with being grateful for even the smallest blessings in your life."
“I also tell the young players to dream big. As children we have all this potential and enthusiasm, and then the world breaks that down and you get told you can’t do something or don’t take that risk, rather be conservative with your dreams. No magic happens in a comfort zone."
“So I try and encourage the young players to move out of their comfort zones and to push themselves, but while going there to enjoy the small things that are part of the process.
“Sometimes you’ll miss that target you’ve set for yourself,” says Redelinghuys as he brings a sobering reality to the dreams of young rugby players. He knows this better than most. But he also knows this: “But every day, just keep going forward a little bit”.