Brendan Venter's love affair with his doctor's coat and stethoscope was strong, but it turns out, a call from Saracens is the one thing that could lure him back to the rugby field full-time. The ex-Springbok centre is set to reprise his role as Director of Rugby at the English Premiership club, swapping his GP practice for the pitch once again later this year.
Venter, who kicked off his medical practice back in 2001 in Strand, confessed to The Telegraph that ditching his doctor's gig wasn't a decision made lightly. Initially, he'd told club owner Dominic Silvester, "I’m unbelievably settled. I love my work as a doctor. It gives me energy." But the rugby pitch kept calling, especially when his buddy and long-time colleague Mark McCall threw in the towel after a marathon 17 years as head coach.
"He just said to me: ‘I’m tired.’"
This was the nudge Venter needed. His return was contingent on McCall not straying too far from the action, insisting, "He had to stay on as my technical director."
McCall’s new role was a deal-maker for Venter, who believes McCall is "the most successful rugby union coach ever." Silvester promised continuity, not just keeping McCall close as a technical director, but also adding him to the board.
Venter laid it out: "The only reason I’m really doing this is because Mark needs a solution, and Dominic needs a solution. That is the bottom line in the end." It's all about fixing problems for friends, both of whom have been more than kind to him over the years.
Unlike his first stint in 2009-10, Venter is not looking to rebuild but to enhance what is already a solid team. "I said to the boys in my talk today, that the reality is we are good but we must find a way of being consistent," he reflected. His vision for Saracens is clear: intense, physical, consistently hard to play against.
Venter draws parallels between his dual passions: medicine and rugby. "While I’m walking to my practice, every day, I ask God to grant me the wisdom and kindness to be a good doctor today, every day... Being OK is not OK. It is the same thing here. It is a life philosophy." He concluded with a robust dismissal of excuses, "If they use words like, ‘I wasn’t up for it today’, that is absolute bulls**t. We will always be up for it. If something goes wrong, it was not because we weren’t up for it. It was something else, and then we’ll fix it, and then we go again. And that’s just the way life works."
Saracens fans, get ready. The doctor will see you now, but this time, he's prescribing some hardcore rugby.
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Brendan Venter's love affair with his doctor's coat and stethoscope was strong, but it turns out, a call from Saracens is the one thing that could lure him back to the rugby field full-time. The ex-Springbok centre is set to reprise his role as Director of Rugby at the English Premiership club, swapping his GP practice for the pitch once again later this year.
Venter, who kicked off his medical practice back in 2001 in Strand, confessed to The Telegraph that ditching his doctor's gig wasn't a decision made lightly. Initially, he'd told club owner Dominic Silvester, "I’m unbelievably settled. I love my work as a doctor. It gives me energy." But the rugby pitch kept calling, especially when his buddy and long-time colleague Mark McCall threw in the towel after a marathon 17 years as head coach.
"He just said to me: ‘I’m tired.’"
This was the nudge Venter needed. His return was contingent on McCall not straying too far from the action, insisting, "He had to stay on as my technical director."McCall’s new role was a deal-maker for Venter, who believes McCall is "the most successful rugby union coach ever." Silvester promised continuity, not just keeping McCall close as a technical director, but also adding him to the board.
Venter laid it out: "The only reason I’m really doing this is because Mark needs a solution, and Dominic needs a solution. That is the bottom line in the end." It's all about fixing problems for friends, both of whom have been more than kind to him over the years.
Unlike his first stint in 2009-10, Venter is not looking to rebuild but to enhance what is already a solid team. "I said to the boys in my talk today, that the reality is we are good but we must find a way of being consistent," he reflected. His vision for Saracens is clear: intense, physical, consistently hard to play against.
Venter draws parallels between his dual passions: medicine and rugby. "While I’m walking to my practice, every day, I ask God to grant me the wisdom and kindness to be a good doctor today, every day... Being OK is not OK. It is the same thing here. It is a life philosophy." He concluded with a robust dismissal of excuses, "If they use words like, ‘I wasn’t up for it today’, that is absolute bulls**t. We will always be up for it. If something goes wrong, it was not because we weren’t up for it. It was something else, and then we’ll fix it, and then we go again. And that’s just the way life works."
Saracens fans, get ready. The doctor will see you now, but this time, he's prescribing some hardcore rugby.