By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
“I knew I wanted to be a better person the day I was done with rugby,” says former Springbok Derick Hougaard in the trailer for the upcoming kykNET documentary series, Hougaard: Liefling van Loftus.
The six-episode series premieres on Wednesday, 25 October at 20:00 on kykNET (DStv 144). According to a press statement by the channel, the series follows Hougaard on the brave journey he undertakes, against the background of rugby, to find out what the root causes of his personal problems are.
“Everybody has a lot to say about him, but now he has decided to tell his side of the story and bare all”, reads the statement.
The 40-year-old, known as the “Liefling van Loftus”, is a shadow of his former self. His triumphant rugby career was cut short by several injuries. In the following years, his widely-publicised divorce, a multitude of scandals, and his recent traumatic hospitalisation, during which he teetered on the brink of death while in coma for several days.
Since his glory days as Blue Bull legend and Springbok, Derick was caught in a downward spiral characterised by numerous scandals and gossip stories. For the first time, Derick talks very intimately about his life and pays a visit to, among others, ex-players whose lives have also been irrevocably changed by rugby.
“The doccie was a roller-coaster ride and an unwaveringly honest story from tears to joy. What a journey! I didn’t anticipate the way in which it would bring both my joys and sorrows to light,” says Derick.
Hougaard: Liefling van Loftus will air on kykNET (DStv channel 144) on 25 October at 20:00. The doccie will also be available on Catch Up and DStv Stream.