By Dylan Bettencourt
- Former Springbok and Bulls player Cornal Hendricks has died after suffering a suspected heart attack.
- Hendricks once stopped playing rugby because of a heart problem, but made a strong comeback.
Cornal Hendricks, the former Springbok who once quit rugby because of a heart problem, has died. He was 37 years old.
Reports say he died on Wednesday night after suffering a suspected heart attack. He had been diagnosed with a heart condition years ago, which at times kept him off the field, The Citizen reported.
Hendricks started out in Wellington in the Boland. He played for the Blitzboks in sevens rugby, then moved on to the Cheetahs, and later the Bulls.
In 2014, he played for the Springboks for the first time. But in 2015, doctors found he had a rare heart condition. They told him to stop playing rugby — or risk dying.
“I cannot tell you exactly what was wrong with my heart, but the medical message to me was crystal clear — stop playing rugby or face the possibility of cardiac arrest,” he told AFP in 2019.
He gave up the game at 27. The news left him depressed.
“Those were unbelievably dark days. I had played for the Blitzboks and had hoped to be part of the team for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Instead, I stayed at my home, severely depressed, and could not bear to watch those I once played alongside as they competed in Brazil,” he said.
“I continued to train, but motivating myself was extremely difficult because I felt all the hard work I was putting in had no purpose.”
But Hendricks didn’t give up. He got a second opinion, was cleared to play again, and the Bulls gave him a chance in 2017.
He made the most of it, winning the Currie Cup and Super Rugby Unlocked with the team.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Pictured above: Cornal Hendricks.
Image source: @Springboks
