After being hit by a doping ban and a public mental health battle, former Sharks and Bulls player Sbu Nkosi has fuelled rumuors he has answered an ancestral calling.
The “bad boy” of rugby returned to Instagram after a lengthy hiatus.
THOKOZA SBU NKOSI?
After more than a year of taking an Instagram break, Sbu Nkosi returned to his feed with a “thirst-trap” pic.
The 29-year-old was shirtless, wearing an ancestral cloth around his waist.
He captioned the pic: “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast”.
In the comments section, Sbu Nkosi thanked his followers for their well-wishes.
For those who questioned if they would ever see him play rugby again, he responded: “It’s gonna be a while. But I’ll bring back a savage beast of a player”.
It’s not the first time Sbu has hinted at responding to idlozi (ancestors).
In 2023, he posted a picture of himself wearing another ancestral cloth with a caption that included a telephone emoji.
In the comments section, followers commented on the ancestral welcome greeting: “Thokoza”.
Media personality Minnie Dlamini was one of them, commenting: “It all makes sense”.
CONTROVERSIES OVER THE YEARS
Sbu Nkosi has been embroiled in a series of scandals throughout his professional rugby career.
Last year, he was slapped with a three-year ban after testing positive for an anabolic steroid commonly used by bodybuilders. At the time, he was signed to the Cheetahs, who reportedly offered him a “lifeline”.
Just months before signing with the Gauteng club, Sbu Nkosi’s contract with the Bulls was terminated with immediate effect.
During his tenure at the club, Sbu went AWOL in 2022 and used his Instagram account to throw shade at his club.
Images via Instagram: @sbu_nkosi14
According to TimesLive, Sbu – who cited mental health struggles for his absence – did the same at the Sharks, too.
Speaking in a press conference in 2023, Bulls bossJake White expressed his concern about the player’s decline.
He said of Sbu: “He’s not playing well enough, he’s not training hard enough, I don’t see him enough for him to warrant selection above guys who have been training in the group anyway….I think he battles with whatever [that’s bothering him].
“My gut feeling is that I don’t think he battles with anything other than that he needs to get his life sorted.
He continued: “He was married and had a child, but he’s now got a girlfriend, and he’s got two kids with her. If that was my son and he was 26, 27 years old, I would worry about him”.
DO YOU THINK SBU NKOSI WILL EVER MAKE A RETURN TO RUGBY?
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