1. Overview
S'busiso Romeo Nkosi (born 21 January 1996) is a prominent South African professional rugby union player, primarily known for his role as a winger. He has represented the South Africa national team, widely known as the Springboks, and has played for several key club teams in South Africa, including the Sharks, Bulls, and currently the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup.
Nkosi's career has been marked by significant sporting achievements, including being a key member of the Springboks squad that won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and the 2019 Rugby Championship. However, his career has also faced substantial challenges, including struggles with mental health issues that impacted his club tenure with the Bulls, and a highly publicized doping violation in 2024 that resulted in a three-year ban from professional play by World Rugby. These personal and professional hurdles have brought public attention to the pressures faced by elite athletes.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
S'busiso Nkosi was born on 21 January 1996 in Barberton, South Africa, where he spent his early years and began his rugby journey. He attended Barberton High School up to Grade 10 before relocating to Johannesburg to continue his education and rugby development at Jeppe High School for Boys. His early career laid the foundation for his future professional achievements.
2.1. Youth Rugby
Nkosi's talent in rugby was evident from a young age. In 2012, while still living in Barberton, he was selected to represent his local Pumas team at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week tournament, where he made three appearances.
Following his move to Johannesburg, Nkosi continued to impress, earning selections for the Golden Lions' Under-18 Craven Week team in both 2013 and 2014. During the 2013 tournament in Polokwane, he notably scored a try in the unofficial final, although his team ultimately lost 29-45 to Western Province.
After completing high school, Nkosi developed an affinity for Durban and decided to join the Sharks organization. In 2015, he made eleven starts for the Sharks U19 team in the Under-19 Provincial Championship, showcasing his try-scoring ability by securing seven tries throughout the season. Highlights included scoring two tries against the Leopards U19 in Durban, another two tries during a return match against the Golden Lions U19s in Johannesburg, and single tries in both home and away matches against the Blue Bulls U19, as well as one against the Western Province U19. His performance made him his team's top try scorer and placed him joint-sixth overall in Group A of the competition, despite the Sharks finishing at the bottom of the league log that season.
3. Professional Club Career
Nkosi's professional journey began with the Sharks, leading him through significant tenures with the Bulls and the Cheetahs, each marked by notable performances and challenging transitions.
3.1. Sharks
In 2016, Nkosi continued his ascent, making twenty appearances for the UKZN Impi in the 2016 Varsity Shield competition. During this period, he scored a try against UWC and two tries in their decisive 63-30 victory over the TUT Vikings. Despite the UKZN Impi winning seven of their eight matches and finishing joint-top of the log with Wits, they faced a setback when 12 points were deducted due to fielding an ineligible player. This penalty caused them to drop to third place, consequently missing out on the title play-offs and a chance for promotion to the Varsity Cup.
In March 2016, Nkosi was initially included in a training squad for the South Africa Under-20 national team and was later named in a reduced provisional squad. While preparing for international duties, he was temporarily released from the South Africa Under-20 training camp to play two matches for the Sharks XV in the 2016 Currie Cup qualification series. He made his senior first-class debut coming off the bench in a 48-18 victory over the Namibian side the Welwitschias and later started in a 24-16 win against Western Province.
After his commitments with the national U20 team, Nkosi was included in the Sharks' squad for the 2016 Currie Cup Premier Division. Although he did not get any game time at that level, he made three appearances for the Sharks U21 team in the 2016 Under-21 Provincial Championship. By the end of October 2016, his consistent performances earned him a place in the Sharks Super Rugby squad for the 2017 Super Rugby season. During his time with the Sharks in the Currie Cup, he scored eight tries.
3.2. Bulls
In 2022, Nkosi joined the Bulls. His tenure with the team, however, was significantly impacted by personal challenges. In December 2022, he reportedly disappeared from the team for three weeks without any contact, which led to him being reported missing to the police. After being located, Nkosi ultimately departed from the Bulls, with his absence and subsequent departure highlighting a period of significant struggle with his mental health.
3.3. Cheetahs
In March 2024, Nkosi signed a one-year contract with the Cheetahs. However, his return to professional rugby was short-lived. In May 2024, he tested positive for anabolic steroids during a doping test. The Cheetahs officially announced the results of this test on September 9, 2024, confirming the violation. As a consequence, World Rugby imposed a three-year ban on Nkosi, rendering him ineligible to play professionally until July 15, 2027. This incident made Nkosi the second South African national team player to receive a doping ban, raising significant concerns within the sporting community about player welfare and anti-doping regulations.
4. International Career
Nkosi's international career progressed from youth teams to a significant role with the senior national team, culminating in a Rugby World Cup victory.
4.1. South Africa U20
In 2016, Nkosi was selected for the South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship held in Manchester, England. He started in all three of South Africa's pool matches in Pool C. In their opening game, South Africa came from behind to defeat Japan 59-19. They then faced a 13-19 defeat against Argentina in their second match but rebounded with a 40-31 bonus-point victory over France in their final pool game. These results secured their place in the semi-finals as the best runner-up in the competition.
Unfortunately, Nkosi sustained a thigh injury, which ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. As a result, he was unable to feature in the semi-final, where South Africa lost 39-17 to the hosts and three-time champions England. He also missed the third-place play-off, where Argentina defeated South Africa for the second time in the tournament, winning convincingly 49-19, condemning South Africa to a fourth-place finish.
4.2. Senior National Team
Nkosi earned his first cap for the Springboks in 2018 during a match against England. Between 2018 and 2021, he represented South Africa in 16 test matches, scoring 9 tries.
His most notable international achievement came when he was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. During the tournament, Nkosi featured in three matches, including the pool stage games against Namibia and Canada, and the semi-final against Italy. South Africa went on to have a remarkable campaign, ultimately winning the tournament by defeating England in the final.
5. Honours
S'busiso Nkosi has achieved several significant honours throughout his rugby career:
- Currie Cup 2018 - Winner
- Rugby Championship 2019 - Winner
- Rugby World Cup Japan 2019 - Winner
- South Africa A vs British and Irish Lions 2021 (exhibition match) - Winner
6. Controversies and Personal Challenges
Throughout his career, Nkosi has faced several significant controversies and personal challenges that have impacted both his professional trajectory and public perception, shedding light on the broader issues within professional sports.
6.1. Mental Health Issues
Nkosi's struggles with mental health came to public attention during his time with the Bulls in late 2022. In December of that year, he experienced a period of absence from the team, during which he was unreachable for three weeks. This concerning disappearance led to his being reported missing to the police. After being located, Nkosi subsequently left the Bulls. This incident highlighted the significant pressure and mental strain that professional athletes can experience, bringing a crucial discussion about mental health support in sports to the forefront.
6.2. Doping Violation and Ban
In May 2024, Nkosi's career was dealt a severe blow when he tested positive for anabolic steroids during a routine doping control. The positive test was announced by his club, the Cheetahs, in September 2024. Following the investigation, World Rugby imposed a three-year ban on Nkosi from all professional play, effective until July 15, 2027. This decision marked him as only the second player with experience in the South African national team to receive a doping ban, raising questions within the sporting community about drug testing protocols and the integrity of the sport. The incident underscored the serious consequences of doping violations and their impact on an athlete's career and reputation.