Jean de Villiers was named Springbok captain for 2012 before the series victory over England in June, which made him South Africa’s 54th Test skipper. He is one of the most experienced Springboks ever and a natural leader, having led Western Province and the Stormers during his provincial career. De Villiers is deceptively quick, has superb handling skills and has an uncanny knack for intercept tries. Injuries saw him miss the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and all but 40 odd minutes of the tournament in 2007, but in 2011 he was one of the Boks’ backline stars in New Zealand.
My Definition Of Success | I find it quite difficult to judge success, because it’s something one can attain on so many levels and being a rugby player, people think success can only be measured in terms of trophies won. Personally I think success is something you have to keep on striving towards, but can never really reach in totality. For me, the meaning of success has also changed as I got older – having had two beautiful children and seeing the joy one can get from being part of a happy family, is also a form of success and makes me immensely happy. So it’s not always about the rugby, rather life as a whole.
What Drives Me | I’m probably driven by my family first and then the fear of failure.
My Highlights | During my rugby career two moments will always stand out – first was making my Test debut for South Africa way back in 2002 against France in Marseilles, and secondly when Heyneke Meyer offered me the Springbok captaincy in 2012. Personally, I’d say the highlights included when I married Marlie and the two beautiful daughters we have, Layli and Lana.
The Difference Between good And Great | It all comes down to sheer determination – never giving up and always pushing the boundaries.
Characteristics Of Success | I would identify four – work ethic, determination, using setbacks as motivation and enjoyment.
Critical Skills To Develop | It’s vitally important to know exactly what is expected of you in doing your job to the best of your ability, knowing my strengths and weaknesses and striving for constant improvement.
Lessons I Have Learnt | Setbacks are a given and are part of life. It’s all about how you approach them, because if your attitude isn’t right, these setbacks could hold you down. On the other hand, if you make the most of a bad situation, they could ultimately make you a better person.
Performing At My Peak | Preparation is vital! Being a sportsman and as I got older, I also learnt that you need to ensure your body is in peak condition, so I have to take care of myself a bit more than in my younger days.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | My coaches and team-mates do that, as well as everyday regular people I come in contact with. I constantly learn what to do and what not to.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | Never give up.
Alan is a Chartered Accountant by profession. He joined the group in April 2012 as CEO, prior to which he was the CEO of Nolands (Cape Town and South Africa), where he served his articles and subsequently became a partner in 1998. During this time he served on several boards gaining experience in varied industries […]
Dee Poon is the creative force behind the bespoke men’s shirt brand PYE, creating the men’s equivalent to the little black dress: the perfectly tailored crisp white dress shirt. A frequent presence on best-dressed lists in Asia and around the world, Poon is Hong Kong fashion royalty, the daughter of Dickson Poon, the owner of […]
Riaan Cruywagen started reading the Afrikaans news on SABC in 1975 and is regarded as one of South Africa’s iconic voices, guiding many through the turbulent 80’s and 90’s. He considers himself a truly proud South African and his legacy lives on as one of the best news anchor’s of modern times. The Legacy Project […]
Dr Sherylle Calder is a visual skills coach and guru. She is a sport scientist and performance coach, who is also known as “The Eye Lady”. Dr Calder has helped teams win 2 back-to-back Rugby World Cups amongst many other sporting trophies and her expertise in this field has long been recognised by the top […]
For the past two decades Dr. Robert Muggah TLP has tracked gun smugglers in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, counted cadavers in Colombia and Haiti, and studied warlords from Congo to Papua New Guinea. Dr. Robert Muggah TLP (Legacy Project) To better understand these issues – including ways to disrupt them – […]
Penny Heyns TLP is, without doubt, the world’s greatest female breaststroke swimmer of the 20th Century. She is the only woman in Olympic history to win both the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke events in Atlanta 1996 and broke 14 individual world records during her career. Her achievements brought her personal audiences with Nelson Mandela […]
With a wealth of knowledge from years spent in the IT sector, Keith Jones founded Start With 7 (SW7) to fulfill his passion to grow startup technology businesses in Africa. Recognising the dynamic changes facing this industry, Keith rolls up his sleeves to share his considerable experience through mentoring and gives us now an insight […]
Josephine MÉNDEZ-NEGRETE, associate professor in Mexican American studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio, received her PhD at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Duke University Press published Las Hijas de Juan: Daughters Betrayed as a revised edition in 2006. Her current manuscript A Life on Hold: Living with Schizophrenia, a testimony of […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
