背の低さを発奮材料に、周囲の評価覆した南ア代表デクラーク

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】スクラムハーフとしてチームをけん引し、母国にラグビーW杯日本大会のタイトルをもたらした南アフリカ代表のファフ・デクラークが英紙タイムズの取材に応じ、ラグビーを続けるには背が低すぎると言われた過去を明かした。（写真は南アフリカのファフ・デクラーク〈左〉）
　２８歳のデクラークは、決勝でイングランドに３２-１２で勝利し、見事な戦いぶりでＷ杯を制した南アフリカで重要な役割を担った。
　自らフィールド外では「のんびりした楽しい人間」と話すデクラークは、フィールド上の対戦相手には代表、クラブチームを問わず全く別の顔を見せる。それでも闘争心あふれる現在のスタイルは、やはり身長が１７０センチしかないことが根底にあるそうだ。
　「もちろん、そのことが関係している」「特に小さい頃はよく言われたよ。お前は小さすぎる。大成はできないってね」「僕は良い選手だったが、身長が足りなかった」
　「若い頃から、自分も大男たちと同じようなタックルができることを見せたかったから、ありとあらゆる筋力トレーニングをやった」「みんなができないと言うことでも、できると証明したかった」
　２０１６年のアイルランドとのテストマッチ３連戦で代表デビューを飾り、そこから３０キャップを刻んでいるデクラークは、自分の存在を意識させるには、常に相手に食ってかからなければならないと話している。
　「もう一つ、そういう連中には１００パーセントで立ち向かわなかったら勝ち目はない」「だから生き残るには全力を尽くす必要がある」
　そうしたスタイルは、クリケットをプレーしていたときも全く同じだったという。デクラークは「あっちでも、僕はものすごくうっとうしい選手だったよ！」と話している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/08/26-12:59）

Being told he was too small to make it in rugby acted as the spur for South Africa's World Cup winning scrum-half Faf de Klerk to prove the doubters wrong, he told The Times.
The 28-year-old was pivotal in the Springboks' impressive World Cup campaign in Japan last year climaxing with a 32-12 thrashing of England.
While he says off the pitch he is a very easygoing, fun guy, opposing players whether in Tests or in the English Premiership -- he plays for the Sale Sharks -- see a very different side to him on the pitch.
However, he admits standing at only 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 metres) he had to develop a feisty side.
It definitely has something to do with it, he said.
Especially growing up, always being told: I'm too small, I'll never make it.
I'm a good player but not big enough.
From a young age, I wanted to show that I can make the tackles that the big guys do, that I can do all the physical stuff.
I wanted to prove to them that I can do what they say I can't.
De Klerk -- capped 30 times since making his Test debut in the 2-1 home series win over Ireland in 2016 -- says he has to always be snapping at the heels of his opponents to let them know he is around.
The other thing is: if I'm not going to go 100 per cent against these guys, I'm going to come off second best, he said.
So I need to give everything to stay in the fight.
- 'A healthy squad' -
He says he was just the same when he played cricket and was a wicketkeeper.
There, I was very, very annoying! he said.
De Klerk's success at Sale has also acted as a magnet for several fellow South Africans to come to the club, in some cases acting as a recruiting sergeant.
I helped with a few guys, he said.
In the beginning, when we were a bit short in a few positions, Dimes (Sale's director of rugby Steve Diamond) would ask me: 'Do I know of anybody who will fit into the group?'
I am thinking of guys like Rohan (Janse van Rensburg) and Rob (du Preez), who came over for the short term, fitted in really well but ended up staying.
De Klerk -- who hopes to add Premiership success this season with Sale in third position -- says although the South Africans enjoy each other's company they do not hang out together exclusively.
The biggest thing for us as South Africans is we can't speak our native tongue the whole time, he said.
If we are alone, say, walking from the gym to the changing room, we'll speak Afrikaans, but if someone joins us, we'll switch back to English.
It's not a problem for us, but if we do speak Afrikaans too much, the boys let us know we are in England now.
It shows a healthy squad when guys can give each other some stick.