The good Boks: Ulster’s faith in South Africans is being rewarded

THERE does not seem any immediate connection between the slate grey province of Northern Ireland and the sun-kissed, cultural kaleidoscope that is the Republic of South Africa but, in a bid to bring back the glory years, Ulster Rugby persuaded four of the Springboks’ finest to join their crusade.

Johann Muller, Ruan Pienaar, Pedrie Wannenburg and the ageing warrior that is 36-year-old full-back Stephan Terblanche, first capped back in 1998, will almost certainly take their places in Ulster’s XV in the Heineken Cup semi-final against Edinburgh in Dublin on Saturday.

Muller leads the side, Terblanche, below, captained the Natal Sharks as recently as 2010 and Pienaar runs the show from nine or ten so the Boks bring leadership to Ulster. They boast a total of 132 international caps between them so the South Africans bring a mass of rugby experience with them, something that has been vital to Ulster’s cup run. But they also bring something else to the northern edge of Ireland... their Christian faith.

Muller is the leader of the group, off the field as well as on it, and the giant lock recounts how an incident in his home church was the decisive factor in pushing him towards Ulster after Springboks coach Peter de Villiers told him he would never start for the Springboks while Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha still had breath in their bodies.

“Me and my wife made a decision that when I hit 30, we wanted to move overseas,” says the Ulster skipper. “I met (chief executive) David Humphreys and he flew to South Africa to try and sell Ulster to me. We were 70 per cent sure, but we then went to church a week later.

“There was an evangelist over from Manchester and out of nowhere he said, ‘sir, can you stand up’ pointing at me. I did as I was told, and I was kind of shocked, but then he said ‘God has opened a door for you and he wants you to take it’. The guy told me He saw me over here and was using me for His works. It was a wonderful confirmation and we didn’t need to think twice.”

Religion permeates South African sport in a way that is alien to the British but not, perhaps, to players and pundits in the USA. Following the 1995 World Cup final the sight of the victorious Springboks holding an impromptu prayer meeting on the Ellis Park field after the final whistle was a memorable one and never mind that the drop goal hero Joel Stransky is Jewish. It still happens regularly at Super Rugby level.

Massimo Cuttitta was reminiscing only last week about Gysie Pienaar, the father of Ruan and a Springbok full-back in his own right, who according to the Scotland scrum guru was never without a Bible in his hand. His son is cut from the same cloth because he too felt drawn to Ulster by a greater power as he explained in an interview a few months back.

“I had many offers from different places, France, England, you name it. But I have always believed with my Christianity that there’s so much more to life than rugby. I said to my wife before we came here that we had to be strong in our faith and I believe that God gave me a door to walk through here at Ulster. Being here gives me an enormous sense of purpose, I am not just here for rugby, I’m here to touch lives.”

The pair of them and breakaway Wannenburg talk openly about their Christian faith in school assemblies throughout the north but these three South African missionaries have found that they are already preaching to the converted, at least in some cases.

Ireland winger Andrew Trimble is proud to be known as a practising Christian but there are others in the Ulster squad who share the same passion, if not the same profile. Prop forward Paddy McAllister may come into contention following John Afoa’s suspension. He spent his formative years in Kenya, the son of two missionaries, and he still practices his parents’ faith.

“In Northern Ireland I suppose we can be a bit more private about faith. Growing up in Africa, I learnt to be thankful for everything. I’ve seen things that I know nobody here has seen and maybe that makes me a bit different. Being a Christian within Ulster, I’m always conscious that I have a responsibility to be a role model. It’s the same for all of us.

“But Andrew Trimble is really good and told me you can’t please everyone. For young guys like me and Nevin (Spence), we’re lucky with the support network we’ve got here amongst the Christian players.”

Spence is one of Ireland’s most exciting young back prospects, the next Brian O’Driscoll – not that anyone deserves that albatross hung around their neck. He and the livewire scrum-half Paul Marshall, who came off the bench when Ulster walloped Edinburgh at Murrayfield, are both practicing Christians although neither player makes a psalm and dance of their faith.

“The Ulster team is a great place to be a Christian,” says Spence. “It’s funny, Paul and I would help each other at training, if we catch each other swearing or whatever, it’s just good to know we’re looking out for each other.

“There’s a group of 30 lads here and the banter won’t change amongst us, nor would I want it to. There’s no divide amongst the Christians and the non-Christians. For me the Bible is about actions speaking louder than words. I’ve just got to be careful my Mum doesn’t catch me swearing on TV again.”

Edinburgh are already up against it ahead of next Saturday’s semi-final with a mass of Ulster fans sure to turn the Aviva into a grander version of Ravenhill. But for all their fans’ vocal support Ulster’s big Christian contingent believe that their 16th man offers help from a different dimension altogether.