On the field he is determined, focused and driven, but off the field he is down to earth, genuine and has an incredible sense of humour. We caught up with Professional Rugby Player, Willie Britz, and got the exclusive lowdown on his career, his personal insight and his goals.
How long have you been playing rugby professionally and how did it all get started? I only started playing prof in 2012 when I turned 24! God’s timing was just perfect like always, just finished my honours degree at Kovsies, and then the Lions invited me for a trail run before the Currie Cup started, and then the rest is history!
What is your biggest accomplishment in your sports career? This might sound odd but for me personally it is to still wake up early every morning, and enjoying what I do, and giving my all everyday for the team I am playing for, and to do this daily, this is my biggest accomplishment
What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success? Attention to detail, and working harder then the previous session, always wanting to improve!
What would be your ultimate achievement? Playing in the 2019 World Cup in Japan!
How do you set your goals? Before every season starts I write down my goals for the season, it must be almost impossible to reach, so then I know I have to work super hard to achieve them and there is no time to relax!
What is your biggest challenge in the sporting scene to date, and what did you do to manage this challenge? Injuries and not being selected for the team! Just realized that rugby is not everything to me, God is nr 1 in my life, and focused to spend more time with God and trust in His plan for my life, and worked my ass off to be a better player when I got the chance to play again!!
What is your diet like? Just a healthy lifestyle and lots of water!
What 1-2 things do you believe differentiates you from your competitors? My hairstyle and the positive vibe that follows me on and off the field!
Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches) that have really inspired you? Might sound weird, but the book that inspired me the most is the Bible, and getting to know God and His character out of the Bible more intensely everyday, changed my way of preparing for life, rugby games and training and pretty much everything else!
What was the best advice you were ever given and by who? Before my first Currie Cup game Franco vd Merwe told me to just know my role, do what I have to, and always keep on enjoying the game!!
Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? Nothing is impossible until you decide to stop trying!
If you could select one person – who do you admire most in your team and why? Reinhardt Erwee, he has been working harder then many other players in the team, and just haven’t gotten a chance to show what he has to offer at Currie Cup or Super Rugby level, and between all that he still works a Monday to Friday job and covers 1000nds of kilometers a week, sleeps maybe 6 hours a night at most, and still trains harder than the rest, and never complains!! Hope this is his year, so watch out for his name!!
