'My uncle played for the Springboks: The tale of how URC winner got his grit

SPOTLIGHT: For Glasgow Warriors’ Henco Venter it was never a case of if he would play professional rugby – just a matter of when.

Born in Bloemfontein, the flanker played his youth rugby for the Free State, and was named in the Varsity Cup Dream Team in 2015.

His father coached him in High School and his uncle was 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok, Ruben Kruger.

Rugby has always been a huge part of life.

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“My uncle played for the Springboks. He actually played with Franco [Smith],” he tells us.

“My aunt also married a guy who played for Springboks and they both played for the Bulls.

“So when we grew up, it was just like always in the family.

“You watch your uncles play rugby for the Springboks or the Bulls. And then my dad coached the first team of the high school too.

“Every day you were on the field.

“It was never a question of if you were going to play professional rugby – it was always just part of the plan.”

 

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Despite Glasgow being almost 14,000 kilometres from where he grew up, you could almost say playing for the Warriors was always part of the plan too – given the man that brought him there.

Having not only played with his uncle, Franco Smith coached Henco’s Varsity Cup team and was with him at the Cheetahs.

So there was always only going to be one answer when we asked him about the most influential coach on his career.

“There’s a lot of coaches in different parts that played a role but I’d say it’s Franco,” he says.

“He coached me in Varsity and then we went to the Cheetahs and won some Currie Cups.”

In his first season with Franco, he went to lift the Vodacom URC title with Glasgow Warriors, playing a key role off the bench in the Final.

But as we celebrate Origin Round across Rounds 11 and 12 in the Vodacom URC, the South African will never forget where he came from.

“It’s next level,” Venter said when asked how important is it to remember our Origins.

“I had so many heroes that I looked up to.

“When I played in the schools where I was, the Origin and the people supporting me, without them, you’d never be – you wouldn’t be here.

“You wouldn’t be here without your dad just telling you maybe do this bit or maybe do that and the coaches giving you opportunities.

“It’s the most important thing for any young player also to keep the sport alive.

“It’s next level. That’s why I always go and give back to them.”