When Jake White was coaching South Africa to a second Rugby World Cup trophy in 2007, Cobus Wiese was a 10-year-old boy running around his parents’ Northern Cape farm and tackling his older brother Jasper.

Yes, although in the old language he is officially three inches taller than his famous Springbok brother, Jasper, the Bulls’ new lock acquisition, Cobus Wiese, is actually the little brother. He is two years younger than Jasper.

Now Cobus just started his first United Rugby Championship season under White’s watchful eye at the Bulls and after their first four games in the tournament it was clear that this young giant was going to become a new star at Loftus Versfeld.

That 10-year-old boy of 2007 is now an almost two-metre tall 116-kilogramme powerhouse who will add significantly to the physical presence of the Bulls this season.

“Jasper and I didn’t grow up in a gym. We worked on the farm,” Wiese told the media when asked about his outstanding physical strength during a recent interview.

Although they did not walk the path to provincial rugby through a well-known school, both Wiese brothers are nowadays stars on the fields of the world.

“I’m excited. It’s always good to be able to step into a successful team like the Bulls, which has been in the URC playoffs every season. I think Jake is an incredible rugby brain and I certainly came back to South Africa with the desire to grow my game even more. The quality of players in this group is incredible. I think my role is to try and add my little bit to hopefully take this team all the way this season. I learnt a lot up north and I’m looking forward to sharing some of that with my teammates. And from the start it was easy to settle in here at Loftus. It felt like I’d been a part of this team for years,” he said.

That feeling of belonging, especially in a family sense, is core to Cobus’ personality.

He’s incredibly close with his brother Jasper, and their wives even gave birth less than a week from each other.

“We’re a very close family and we have been through a lot together. If Jasper and I don’t talk every day, then I’ll phone him twice the next day. That’s how close we are. It’s a credit to my parents. They couldn’t always buy us the latest PlaySations, but they raised us with good values,” he remarked.

Family is indeed a large part of the reason why Wiese decided to return to South Africa after a successful run with the Sale Sharks.

“Our decision to come back to South Africa was mainly based around family. Last year July our daughter arrived, and family is first for me. So, for me to see my daughter in the arms of their ‘ouma’ and ‘oupa’ is a greater reward than pounds in my bank account. When there was a chance to come to the Bulls, I took it. You can’t put a price on family time,” he commented.

And the hardships all families go through has also shaped Wiese’s rugby perspective and the role of the game in his life. In 2019, the family dealt with the sudden loss of their sister when she was hit by a bus in Cape Town.

This season the 10-year-old farm boy of 2007, could well help his new team finally harvest that United Rugby Championship trophy, which will crown White’s successful career as a coach.

Note: The video above was taken ten years ago at the Cravenweek in Middelburg, when Cobus Wiese first appeared on talent recruiters’ radar.

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