Thierry Henry hosts Springboks in London, continuing his special bond with South Africa
Meeting of football and rugby: French football icon Thierry Henry hosted a dinner with three Springboks ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship clash with Argentina in London. Photo: Thierry Henry on Instagram
Image: Thierry Henry on Instagram
French football legend Thierry Henry’s connection with South Africa deepened this past Saturday when he hosted three Springboks for dinner.
Henry’s long-running link with the country goes back to his international debut in 1997, which came against Bafana Bafana. A year later, his first France goal – often mistaken as Pierre Issa’s second own goal – also came against South Africa at the 1998 World Cup.
Then, in 2010, his final appearance in the French jersey fittingly came in another World Cup clash with Bafana, bringing his international story full circle.
Last week, that bond took on a new form as Henry welcomed Springboks Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Damian Willemse to his table. The French legend currently lives in London, where the Springboks played their last game of the Rugby Championship.
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“Thanks for coming, guys,” Henry said in an Instagram story with the three Boks. In another story, he joked about the pain the Springboks caused him when they knocked France out in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
One player who must have been over the moon is Willemse, a big fan of Henry’s former club Arsenal. While recovering from injury last year, he made sure to stop by the Emirates Stadium to watch the Gunners in the Champions League.
Kolisi is also a huge football fan, though his allegiance lies with Premier League champions Liverpool, who have invited the Springbok skipper to Anfield several times. The Sharks loose forward has also formed a close relationship with the club’s former German manager, Jürgen Klopp.
IOL Sport