Breadcrumbs [Home](/) > [My Life In Rugby: Bryan Habana](/markdownify/node/4187) ![My Life In Rugby: Bryan Habana](https://media.slman.com/bFT-EFiBzl9bnJIbJZyqq3PiQ44=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F04%2Fsl-man-150426-site-assets-rugby-hero-thumb-1.jpg?itok=VBo8_m6c) ![My Life In Rugby: Bryan Habana](https://media.slman.com/tYtH_vA6NpQ-5JmiRsfRwwX3v5k=/400x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F04%2Fsl-man-150426-site-assets-rugby-hero-thumb-1.jpg?itok=_vRzgTDD) Image: Derek Randolph/Pexels [Interviews & Careers](/life/interviews-careers) / 15 April 2026 # My Life In Rugby: Bryan Habana Bryan Habana is a South African rugby icon. No longer outsprinting his opposite number, he’s now a pundit, family man and co-founder of a fintech. Here’s his perspective on growing up in 90s South Africa, discovering what energises him, and playing with Jonny Wilkinson… Image: Derek Randolph/Pexels [ ![](https://media.slman.com/MkLocUptG44cm42uGpmLGucQvXU=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F04%2Fsl-man-150426-my-life-in-rugby-bryan-habana-credit-bryanhabana-jpg.jpg?itok=NfumxMgX) ](https://www.instagram.com/bryanhabana_/?hl=en) @BryanHabana_ ## What were your first experiences of playing rugby, Bryan? An incredible watershed moment was witnessing the 1995 Rugby World Cup tournament in South Africa. Not only did the pride in South Africa's win in that tournament become part of my makeup, but it also inspired me to start playing rugby. I was 12, going on 13, when I had my first ever game for an under-14 side in 1996. I couldn’t pass with my left hand, I couldn’t properly box-kick a ball, and when I wore shoulder pads you couldn’t see my neck. But the dream of playing for the Springboks one day had been well and truly planted. ## What was it like growing up and playing rugby in South Africa in the ’90s? Having come out of a very difficult Apartheid era, when South Africa was not allowed to play international sports, and when a big part of our population wasn’t allowed to participate in national sports, 1992 was the first time that our teams got the opportunity to play internationally again. Three years later, to have the Rugby World Cup come to South Africa was an incredibly pivotal moment in the history of our country. The great Nelson Mandela wearing that number 6 Springbok jersey, Francois Pienaar lifting the trophy and saying those iconic words about it not just being for the 60,000 in the stadium, but for the millions of South Africans, became entrenched as one of the most iconic, historic moments in sporting history, let alone rugby. The country still bears a lot of scars in its infrastructure, its makeup, the opposites between rich and poor, crime and corruption. These are things that South Africa faces every day. The beauty, though, is that sport has been a shining light. Sports have continued playing an incredibly pivotal role in bringing our nation together and inspiring people, showing what can be done if differences are put aside, as people come together, work extremely hard towards a common goal and achieve success. ## Who was the most impressive player you came up against in your career? In ’95, I was fortunate enough to bump into Jonah Lomu. He felt like a Godzilla of a human being. When I moved from scrumhalf to centre, my junior coach told me to do a synopsis on a player I’d most like to model my game around. I did a five-page ‘thesis’ on Brian O’Driscoll and his play. To then get to play against Brian a few times and become mates post-retiring is a pretty cool reflection: you met one of your heroes, and he turned out to be a really great guy. ## Who was the most impressive player you teamed up with in your career? For the Barbarians, I got to play alongside a very tough opponent in Joe Rokocoko back in 2008, as well as Shane Williams, who followed me as World Player of the Year. But the player I was most fascinated by, and who I got to play with during my first season at Toulon, was Jonny Wilkinson. Getting to witness his 110% commitment in the way he trained gave me an insight into why he became so successful. He was so sought-after that when we won the Top 14 final in my first year, they actually played ‘God Save the Queen’ at the Stade de France. That gives you an understanding of the reverence the French people, and the world, had for someone of his calibre. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/IsA8cWqccD7Rdzkarrjkg1AA2mQ=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F04%2Fsl-man-150426-my-life-in-rugby-bryan-habana-credit-eric-saint-pexels.jpg?itok=Oq11irrp) ](https://www.instagram.com/bryanhabana_/?hl=en) Pexels/Eric Saint ## Do you wish you were playing today, with the rule changes, the concussion protection and improved sports science? I think I was fortunate to play the game during the time period that I did. I’d have probably got a lot more red and yellow cards given the rule changes, but there is a real emphasis on an attacking style of play since the rules have been changed. Looking at the superstars that the game currently possesses, I’m not quite sure I’d have played 100 Test matches for South Africa in today’s era with the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Makazole Mapimpi and Kurt-Lee Arendse around. ## What else does rugby need to do to widen its audience and appeal? Rugby is a very complex sport. In almost every element – every ruck, every tackle – there are probably six or seven decisions that a referee needs to make. I believe that we need to be extremely bold, understanding that the physicality of the game is something that makes it so unique, so we should embrace that. Rugby also needs to become a true global game in terms of the calendar, with both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres starting and stopping at the same time. The Rugby Championship potentially needs to move to the Six Nations window, and Super Rugby maybe needs to move to the middle of August. At the minute, rugby is a winter sport, and taking my seven and 11-year-old boys to experience a game on a Northern Hemisphere tour where it’s cold, wet and dreary is probably not my ideal holiday. ## How do you switch off then, Bryan? Switching off means spending quality time with the family. In a busy life, having a work-life harmony, where you become intentional in your times of rest, becomes critically important. Being able to be switched on and present in the moment with the family is rejuvenating. It gives me the energy to continue in a work-life harmony. ## Do you have a wellness or recovery hack that you swear by? One of the things the world has taught us recently is that sometimes it’s okay to not be okay. And therein lies a great ability to become vulnerable. Truly try and understand where you get your energy from, and then put things in place to make sure that you recover and are okay. I highly recommend breathing exercises throughout the course of the day, taking three deep breaths for 30 seconds. Being intentional about conscious breathing is powerful because it’s one of the fastest, most reliable ways to reset your nervous system, your focus and your emotional state – without needing anything external. [ ![](https://media.slman.com/ovtg5Mz706rh7Nz6LeiFppXVCYQ=/1920x0/smart/filters:no_upscale()/https%3A%2F%2Fslman.com%2Fsites%2Fslman%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2026%2F04%2Fsl-man-150426-my-life-in-rugby-bryan-habana-credit-bryanhabana-landscape.jpg?itok=zKK1dLfl) ](https://www.instagram.com/bryanhabana_/?hl=en) @BryanHabana_ ## How much of a shock to the system was your retirement from rugby? Playing professional rugby from 17 years old meant my retirement path was never going to be linear. The transition period from professional sport is a sheer cliff edge. I was very fortunate to have an incredibly supportive wife and family, and some really great business connections. Looking back, I can appreciate how important it was to spend quality time with my family as I began defining what my next chapter post-rugby looked like. For me, that intentional pause was an exciting opportunity to start a business and lean into entrepreneurship. ## Was there any self-doubt at all? When I made my retirement announcement back in 2018, I was extremely frustrated and had a disappointing ending with Toulon. After making my announcement, I’ll never forget walking into our house, and as I opened the door, I just burst out crying, because everything I’d known up until that point was now gone. In that moment of solitude, I heard my three-year-old little boy belly-laugh with my wife, who was pregnant with our second. It was at that point that I realised my identity should never have rested solely in rugby. When that gets stripped away from you, you need to learn and reidentify who you are, then try and find a different way and purpose, and rediscover your why. ## Talk to us about [PayMeNow](https://paymenow.live/)… My university roommate, Deon Nobrega, approached me with this concept he’d come across. He said he had this cool idea that wasn’t in South Africa at that time – earned wage access. One of the greatest difficulties for me was that, as a Springbok, I needed to learn how to read an Excel spreadsheet and a PowerPoint presentation. I could get my foot in the door to get meetings, but then trying to sell a product that no one knows can be extremely difficult. Building a business from the ground up means going through the hard times, being resilient, being perseverant, and constantly innovating, because if you become stale and get stuck in the past, the world passes you by extremely quickly. ## What does the future look like now? More quality time with the family. There’s been a lot of travel and exploring over the course of my life. PayMeNow has become the fastest-growing company in South Africa and the sixth-fastest-growing company in Africa over the course of the last six years, and there are some real strategic decisions that we – and I personally – need to make in terms of the way the business is going and its impact and contribution. ## Finally, Bryan, what does a perfect day in Cape Town like? If I were a tourist, the perfect day in Cape Town would begin with a morning hike up Lion’s Head to see the sunrise. Then I’d meander down to the [V&A Waterfront](https://www.waterfront.co.za/) for a bit of shopping and a coffee. I’d make sure to get into the queue at [Willoughby’s](https://willoughbyandco.co.za/) for their famous 4x4 roll, with a two o’clock pick-up to go on the wine tram in Stellenbosch. Hopefully, the wine tram would end at [Babylonstoren](https://babylonstoren.com/) for a nice afternoon glass of red. Then I’d finish with dinner at the [Fat Butcher](https://fatbutcher.co.za/) in Stellenbosch. That would be difficult to top. Follow [@BryanHabana\_](https://www.instagram.com/bryanhabana_/?hl=en) *Retirement has long been understood as a single life event at the end of a career – but things are changing, according to* [*HSBC’s Quality of Life*](https://www.hsbc.co.uk/content/dam/hsbc/en/docs/wealth-insights/learn-to-invest/meet-life-goals/the-rise-of-multi-retirements.pdf) *special report.* DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at .