There is very little prospect of Cameron Hanekom becoming a one-Test wonder.
“The hard work starts now,” the boy wonder told his dad Joe after his Bok debut against Wales in Cardiff last November.
There is no doubt Hanekom, arguably the form player in the country, has come of age, in a rugby sense at least. Reluctant to engage in interviews, the taciturn Cameron thankfully does his talking on the field. His performances have been amplified by the unremitting desire to succeed.
The Sunday Times asked Hanekom about the forces that shaped his son’s development. “He is goal-orientated. He will play harder to prove he is worthy to stay there,” insisted Joe.
Though his performances have been compelling, the 22-year-old’s Bok selection came via the back door — after utility back Damian Willemse was ruled out through injury. It was tinged with irony, as the loose forward had potentially been denied an earlier debut due to ligament damage suffered in the United Rugby Championship final.
“He took it hard,” acknowledged Joe. “All you can do is support, but to play for the Boks is what drives him.”
Fruits of labour
The loose forward’s selection was the culmination of a sporting career that sprouted in the fertile soil of Ceres. Mom Crystal was a teacher and Grade 1 rugby coach at Gericke Primary School. “She wasn’t very good at it and I had to go help at lunch time to do some moves so that they didn’t just attend to fitness,” recalled Joe.
“From early on he was a good all-round sportsman. He was a wrestler. He won the SA U-10. In athletics, the first time he got a chance to take part in all the events, he wrote in for everything and he won everything. He got Victor Ludorum a couple of times. At school he played hockey and rugby for Boland.”
Though small for his age, the young Hanekom punched well above his weight — playing 49 A-team matches at U-13 level. He started playing U-13 aged 10. “At Paarl Boys High he was the smallest guy in the team. In Grade 8 they normally pick the bigger guys, and Cameron wasn’t very happy with that. It just made him more determined. Even at Craven Week at U-13 he was one of the smallest six flanks at the week. The size did not bother him, he worked hard,” said Joe, emphasising the last three words.
“You could see the talent and he dreamt of becoming a professional rugby player from early on.”
Family affair
The family, too, sharpen their focus. “You get up early on a Saturday morning, you drive to the school, or you go to Pretoria for Craven Week. It is about sacrifice and support. As long as he knew we were there he was happy and gave his best every time. He says to me before he plays a game, ‘I’m gonna make you guys proud’. He is very passionate,” said Joe.
He explained how his family-orientated son initially struggled to adjust in Pretoria. That changed once he could express himself on the field. “If you were to ask him if he’d extend his contract with the Bulls he will consider it because he is enjoying it there.”
When the young Hanekom has down time he heads home. “We braai, swim and he spends time with his seven-year-old brother. We had a laat lammetjie. He spends a lot of time with him. That’s how he switches off.”
When on duty, however, the latest Springbok allows little distraction. “When he was at the Boks the first two weeks he was very nervous. When the guys had a day off he told me he was staying in to study his detail. He makes sure he knows everything by heart. He doesn’t want to be that guy that plays just one Test for the Springboks.”
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