In the early hours of Thursday morning, South African rugby awoke to devastating news. Cornal Hendricks—Springbok, Blitzbok, Currie Cup winner, and above all, an unrelenting fighter—had passed away at the age of 37 after suffering a heart attack.
The tragedy was not just in the loss of a brilliant player, but in the silencing of one of rugby’s most courageous spirits.
Cornal Hendricks was more than a winger and center. He was proof that the size of a man’s heart could never be measured on a cardiologist’s report. In a cruel twist of irony, it was his heart—so full of fight, compassion, and resilience—that both stopped him and sustained him throughout his life.
Born in Wellington, Western Cape, on 18 April 1988, Cornal’s journey to rugby greatness began in the shadows. He wasn’t a Craven Week prodigy. He didn’t emerge from one of South Africa’s elite rugby schools.
He was a Bergrivier Hoërskool pupil—unknown, overlooked, and undeterred. From Boland under-21 to the senior side, he clawed his way into the professional ranks through grit, blistering speed, and an unwavering belief in himself.
In 2008, he made his debut for the Boland Cavaliers, laying the foundation for a remarkable career. Five seasons later, he earned selection to the Blitzboks, South Africa’s national sevens team, and quickly made his presence known on the global stage.
He won gold at the World Games in Colombia and again at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. That same year, he transitioned seamlessly into fifteens, joining the Cheetahs and then donning the green and gold of the Springboks—scoring five tries in 12 Test matches, including a memorable one against the All Blacks in Wellington.
Then, just as his star reached its zenith, it all came crashing down.
In 2016, at the age of 27, after signing with the Stormers—a dream move for the Western Cape native—he was diagnosed with a rare and serious heart condition. Doctors told him to never play again. For a man whose life had been built on the rhythm of rugby, the silence that followed was deafening.
Cornal spoke openly about the darkness that enveloped him. He spoke of the days when getting out of bed seemed harder than facing the All Blacks. And yet, even in the depths of despair, the fighter in him stirred. He refused to be defeated by diagnosis or fear.
If he couldn’t play, he would serve. He turned his focus outward, pouring himself into his community, founding the Cornal Hendricks Foundation, and helping underprivileged youth find hope through sport and education.
But the game hadn’t seen the last of him.
In 2019, after years of being told “no,” the Bulls said “yes.” They gave him a chance, subjecting him to intense medical scrutiny—and he passed every test.
Cornal returned not only stronger, but with an infectious joy for the game. He played 72 matches for the Bulls in Super Rugby and the United Rugby Championship and 42 more in the Currie Cup. He won back-to-back Currie Cups in 2020 and 2021, was named Player of the Year, and captained the side during one of its most challenging eras.
His comeback was not just a sporting achievement—it was a statement of purpose. “I don’t train or play with fear,” he once said. “I truly believe God has healed me.”
That belief, and the radiant smile he carried into every match and team huddle, made Cornal beloved far beyond the scoreboard. He was the joker in the change room, the leader on the field, and the heart of every team he was part of.
He was never too big to return home—when he rejoined Boland in 2024, it wasn’t just a homecoming; it was a mission. As captain, he helped guide them back into Currie Cup qualification, uniting the community of Wellington behind their local team once more.
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His career may have ended where it began, but his legacy extends far beyond the try line. Cornal Hendricks played 233 first-class games. He scored tries for the Springboks. He beat poverty. He beat disease. He beat the odds, time and again.
And now, heartbreakingly, the final whistle has blown.
But Cornal Hendricks’ story doesn’t end here. It lives on in the children his foundation supports, in the town of Wellington that he so dearly loved, in the teammates who leaned on his strength, and in the fans who saw in him what rugby truly stands for—resilience, humility, courage, and heart.
To his wife Stephaney, their children, his mother Rachel, and everyone who knew and loved him, we extend our deepest condolences.
Cornal Hendricks, the man with the biggest heart in rugby, may be gone, but his impact will never fade.
Rest in peace, Cornal. You fought until the end. And you won.
