My Life in Rugby: Heino Senekal – former Blues, Pirates and Namibia lock

Playing for Namibia in three consecutive World Cups from 1999 to 2007 was without a doubt the biggest achievement of my rugby career.
I became the first Namibian to score a try in a World Cup when I went over against Fiji in the 1999 event and I will never forget playing against distinguished teams such as France, Ireland, Australia and South Africa.
It was great to compare myself against some of the best players in the world, but although being involved in a World Cup is very special, each tournament was a real challenge for the players and management.
Up to 90 per cent of Namibian teams comprised amateur players with full-time jobs and this made preparing for each World Cup particularly difficult.
There was not enough time or money to prepare the guys both physically and mentally to compete against the bigger teams so sometimes we struggled, but then other times we really pushed some sides close.
I remember how special it was playing against Ireland in 2007 and being so close to causing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets when we scored two second-half tries before losing 32-17.
From a young age rugby was always going to be a major part of my life mainly because my father was such a dedicated player.
After school, I moved to South Africa to study and while playing for my university side I was approached by the Boland Cavaliers who offered me my first professional contract.
In my first season at the club we exceeded expectations by finishing third in the Currie Cup tournament with players like former Springbok centre Marius Joubert playing out of their skin during the campaign.
In 2002 I was approached by the Cardiff Blues and the opportunity to play in the UK was too good to turn down.
To say there was a culture change from the hot cloudless days in Africa compared to the cold and wet days in Wales would be an understatement.
I didn’t envisage adjusting to the culture and climate would be so drastic and I probably never did fully adapt.
After a couple of years with the Blues I went on loan to Cornish Pirates but my move to the South-west was not as smooth as I would have liked.
I was initially reluctant to move all the way to Penzance and on the first day I made the trip down I was greeted with an almighty storm.
Despite my indifferent welcome, it did not take long for me to fall in love with the area and the people. I was fortunate to meet my wife in Cornwall and our daughter was born in Truro.
The Pirates fans were so welcoming and enthusiastic that it made my move to the club so much easier.
Due to Cornwall’s geographical position, the bus journeys were long but very eventful! The poker games played on the bus became high-stake affairs with a hand between Matt Jess and Tim Cowley being particularly memorable for the large amounts of £20 notes in the pot.
During my rugby career, I certainly met loads of fantastic people on and off the field. I have now moved back to Namibia with my wife and two daughters working for a wine company and coaching my local U15 side.