Vodacom Bulls flanker Nizaam Carr opened up on the period following the October 2022 liquidation of the Wasp rugby club and the helping hand the Vodacom Bulls extended to him.
On 12 June 2020, Carr returned to South Africa to join the Vodacom Bulls for their Super Rugby season. On 28 June 2021, it was announced that Carr would return to Wasps, after the conclusion of his Currie Cup commitments with the Bulls.
Anybody who has ever lost their job knows the feeling, and I wouldn’t wish it upon any other rugby player to ever have to go through that. It was the lowest point of my career and the first time something like this had happened to me and my family.
"The club I was playing for, Wasps in England, went bankrupt and I was made redundant. Just like that, overnight, I went from living my dream to a nightmare." Carr remembered.
The problem was that it happened at the start of the season and all the other English Premiership clubs had already spent their budgets on players. So suddenly you’re facing a situation where it feels like all the doors are closed. It’s the beginning of the season and you are ready to go and give your best, and then there’s just no opportunity.
I’d been fortunate in my previous time with the Vodacom Bulls to build up a great relationship with Jake as my coach and Edgar Rathbone as the CEO of the Vodacom Bulls.
When they saw the news about Wasps going under, they reached out to me. And that’s when Jake White phoned. He said the following to me, and I still get quite emotional about it: “Pretoria is your home. You’re always welcome here”.
"It was a lifeline for me, and I am forever grateful to them for it. I think it showed how grateful I was that I had one of my best performances in my first match back with the Vodacom Bulls against the Ospreys in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, for which I was voted Man of the Match."
"This experience has taught me that the people you can always rely on are your family and close friends. And that when your back is against the fall and it feels like your world is falling apart around you, keep fighting. Never give up for those you love and for those who need you to be strong for them."
"And now, whether it’s a simple gym session or a big match, I go into it with the same mental attitude to give it my all because I know how different it can be. I know how it can change overnight."
