VIDEO: Cheetahs giant on becoming a centurion
INTERVIEW: Three years ago Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohojé would probably not have thought that he would make his 100th appearance for the Cheetahs after overcoming insurmountable set-backs in his career.
The 32-year-old loose-forward will become a centurion when the Cheetahs host the Griffons in the Currie Cup in Bloemfontein this Friday.
Mohojé, a son of Qwa Qwa, has been a Cheetah since day one and is the epitome of loyalty – he has spent his entire rugby career with the men in orange, something that is not often seen in the modern game with rugby players jumping from team to team these days.
“There have been very highs, and very lows, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. I have done 100 games in ten years, that’s actually a horrible statistic, but there have been many memorable moments. My first Currie Cup game in 2013 against the Lions, which we won. For me, that was the beginning of great things,” the 1.93m gentle giant said.
“The following year I played my first Super Rugby game against the Chiefs. We drew that game, so that was also the beginning of big things for me personally. This was followed up by making the quarter-finals in the Pro14 in our first season, that was incredible.”
Injuries have undoubtedly been Mohojé’ Achilles heel over the span of his ten year career thus far.
And he is candid about the challenges it created. “Injuries have been the hardest part of my job.
“I am glad I persevered. First when we were kicked out of Super Rugby and heading into the Pro14. Nobody gave us a chance, but we made it to the quarter-finals. The same with the European Professional Club Rugby, where we were clearly the underdogs. This is the kind of brand the Cheetahs are.”
Unfortunately his 2018/2019 Pro14 campaign only lasted 18 months due to a rather crippling knee injury. And in 2020, when the world was hiding away due to Covid, it became his comeback year.
The 19-test Springbok has indeed come a long way, especially considering he doesn’t hail from a rugby family. And then he became the Shimlas’ captain. This gave him the confirmation that he should pursue rugby as a career.
He says he was given a platform to take his career to the next level and to eventually become a Springbok, making his debut against Scotland in Gqeberha in 2014.
Mohojé has been the Cheetahs captain and also serves the game off the field as vice-president of the South African Rugby Players’ Association (SARPA).
Cheetahs coach Izak van der Westhuizen applauded Mohojé for his hard work. “He has been an integral part of our success in Europe. He is a hard worker who adds value and I believe the youngsters all look up to him.”
