Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth hailed Arsenal and French legend Thierry Henry as 'the reason I started watching soccer'.
When the formidable Springboks trio of Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Damian Willemse rocked up at the London home of French footballer Thierry Henry, the star-studded fusion of football and rugby worlds was the main course of the evening.
The former Gunner and Les Blues legend played host to South Africa’s rugby titans during the final build-up to the Springboks’ thrilling 28-26 win over Argentina at Twickenham on Saturday, 4 October.
Their victory saw the Springboks clinch back-to-back Rugby Championship titles under head coach Rassie Erasmus.
Thierry Henry invites Springboks for dinner and jersey swap
The dinner seemingly unfolded like a scene from a sports doccie, blending high-stakes camaraderie with light-hearted banter.
The evening’s undisputed highlight? A symbolic jersey swap that captured the spirit of cross-sport respect.
In photos shared on Instagram, Etzebeth can be seen grinning from ear to ear with an Arsenal 2025/26 home shirt emblazoned with the 48-year-old footballer’s surname.
Kolisi looks equally chuffed with his swap – Henry’s iconic France kit in photos shared on Instagram.
In return, the trio gifted Henry a Springboks jersey bearing Etzebeth’s name and number four, plus Arsenal’s off-white away kit.
Eben Etzebeth’s lifelong idol: From TV screen to dinner table…
For Etzebeth – whose debut autobiography, Unlocked, hit the shelves this week – this wasn’t merely a case of celebrity schmoozing.
In the past, the 33-year-old powerhouse lock with more than 120 Test caps openly hailed Henry for being his soccer “gateway drug” – tuning in during the early 2000s to watch the fleet-footed forward dazzle for Arsenal.
Social media lit up when Etzebeth posted a photo on his Instagram this week, captioned:
“The reason I started watching soccer! Henry… THIERRY HENRY! Thanks for the special dinner. #bucketlist #mysoccerGOAT.”
This meeting highlighted Etzebeth’s “softer side” amid his fearsome on-field reputation.
As Henry noted in his reply, the player’s humility and down-to-earth personality have remained intact despite his sporting fame and fortune – a lesson for us all.
“Thank you, and the HUMAN BEING is even more IMPRESSIVE than the player, so thanks for coming, my BROTHER.”
ALSO READ: WATCH: Have you hugged a Bok today? Young fan meets his ‘Elizabedi’
‘Henry Eben’: Fans react
Fans headed to the front-rower’s comment section with some clever quips…
@Victor Xulu: “Now some Arsenal Supporters are going to name their sons Henry Eben… 😅”
@Kearabetswe Mokoene: “🤗🤗 Eben, you are chewing life ❤️ love it for you!”
@Lily Bianchi: “But what a way to eat 😮 ❤️ 😍 now I understand everything 😂”
Reddit users in r/rugbyunion buzzed over the “crazy crossover” with jokes, such as “That’s just the appetisers”, about the evening’s menu also doing the rounds.
Siya Kolisi thanks Thierry Henry for ‘special’ week
Kolisi is also a huge football fan – though he is known for being a staunch supporter of Premier League champions Liverpool.
The World Cup-winning skipper’s post included photos of himself and some of his teammates visiting the CBS Sport UEFA Champions League set at the IMG Studios in London.
He thanked Henry – whose nickname is “Titi” – for a “special” week, addressing him as his brother (mon frère) in French.
“Titi @thierryhenry merci beaucoup mon frère. You made the week special.”
Henry’s response? “You’re welcome, brother. YOU ARE SPECIAL!!”
Willemse, an Arsenal enthusiast who once visited the Emirates during injury rehab, rounded out the trio.
Henry’s South African connection
Thierry Henry, now a CBS Sports pundit and Arsenal ambassador, has long bridged continents with his charisma and diplomacy efforts.
Thierry Henry’s “South African connection” reads like a script…
Hosting these rugby heavyweights underscored his enduring affection for South Africa, a nation that book-ended his international career spanning 13 years.
- Henry’s long-standing ties to South Africa stretch back to 1997, when he made his his international debut for Les Blues against Bafana Bafana.
- A year later, his first France goal – often mistaken as Pierre Issa’s second own goal – also came against South Africa at the 1998 World Cup.
- Then, in 2010, his final appearance in the French jersey fittingly came in another World Cup clash with Bafana.
“That was my last game against South Africa. Ironically, it was also my first game in the national team against South Africa,” Henry was quoted as saying in a BBC report.
These milestones cemented a bond deepened by post-career visits for charity and youth football programmes.
Springboks to face Brave Blossoms at Wembley
As the Springboks gear up for their 1 November clash against Japan at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium before kicking off their first official Test of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour a week later against France in Paris, their celebrated dinner serves as testament to sports’ power to connect.
In Henry’s words, it’s about the “human being” behind the sports hero…
