Father of rising Springbok star hails Rassie Erasmus' impact on son's career

Feinberg-Mgomezulu has been on Erasmus' radar for some time now, and the Bok mentor recognised his ability in 2022 when he included him in the South African 'A' squad for a two-match tour to Europe, where they faced Munster and Bristol Bears.

Since then, the utility back has impressed in the United Rugby Championship (URC) where he has been on duty for the Stormers at full-back, inside centre and fly-half and he was also part of the Stormers' campaign when they were crowned inaugural URC champions in 2022.

His impressive form for the men from the Cape during the 2023/24 URC season earned him a call-up to the Springboks squad for their recent Tests against Wales and Ireland.

His dad, Nick Feinberg, admitted that he is a big fan of Erasmus and praised him for backing his son's abilities as a rugby player.

"I've always been a massive fan of Rassie," he told the Jacaranda FM radio station. "I'm a bit of a fanboy.

"You know, and I often say, like, he's done more for this country than most politicians barring Madiba (South Africa's former state president Nelson Mandela). He's done so much for this country.

"And I'll just give you one example. I think about a week or two weeks before, Sacha was supposed to go away on a Springbok camp about two years ago. He was playing in a URC game, I think, and he broke his hand.

"And it was his first call-up for the Springboks. He broke his hand, so he couldn't make the Springbok camp.

"And then a couple of days later, Rassie gave him a call personally, you know, just phoned him up and said: 'Hey, Sacha, don't worry about the hand. Let it heal. You know, let it take its time. Don't rush to get back. You're going to get your opportunity.'

"And I think that just took Sacha out of his depression. Well, he wasn't depressed, but out of disappointment, I should say.

"And that's the kind of guy Rassie is. He didn't have to call him up. And I just think he's an incredible man.

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"And, you know, like when you watch Chasing the Sun, you can see when a guy gets emotional, he's a genuine fella. And I think he's, for me, a hero of South Africa."

Feinberg also sang the praises of Stormers coach John Dobson for playing his part in his son's success.

"He's really on it and just really personal and involved in people's lives," he said. "And the thing is with Sacha, obviously, he's joined the Stormers at a very young age and where he wasn't, anyway, physically up for really sort of⦠I don't think by the time he was 20, he wasn't big enough to play at 12 or whatever.

"So Dobbo's been very careful with what he's done with him and blooded him in slowly.

"And I think he's done a fantastic job. And I don't know enough about rugby, but I just said to myself, you've got to have faith in these guys. And so far, I mean, look what's happened with Sacha.

"It's kind of been a meteoric rise, hasn't it? From his first game in the URC to becoming a URC champion into the Springboks.

"It's been fantastic. So, yeah, Dobbo's been amazing, wonderful character, lovely man to be around, to have a drink with."

Feinberg is famous in his own right after working as a sports presenter for a well-known radio station in Cape Town, but he admits that his son is now more popular than him.

"I've been on the radio probably over 25 years, and I had a small public profile from that, but now I'm completely redundant, and I'm just known as Sacha's dad," he said.

"There's no more Nick. In fact, in the office, I'm called SD for short, so yeah, it's been a weird one. In the old days, when I used to be out with the kids and maybe in a restaurant or something, and occasionally someone would come up and want a photo or something with me, now it's absolutely reversed.

"I go out with Sacha, you can hardly sit and have a meal. Everyone's all over him. It's been a wild one."

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