Damian de Allende has spent more than a decade wearing the Springbok 12 jersey with a reputation for being one of the most uncompromising midfielders in world rugby. But in a candid interview with RugbyPass, the two-time World Cup winner has revealed a quieter side — a man who values family time above trophy tours and who has found unexpected peace in Japan.
Asked what he enjoys most about living away from the glare of South African rugby, de Allende pointed to the simple rhythm of life in Japan.
"The general thing for me is life in Japan is a bit more relaxed. It's more like after training — you can go out and just be yourself and be a normal human being. And I think that's the thing I enjoy the most about Japan in terms of off the field after rugby," he said.
More than a crash ball
De Allende has long been typecast as a hard-running, hard-tackling 12, but he is keen to point out that the players who have spent the most time alongside him know that stereotype only tells half the story.
"I think they also know that I'm not just a crash baller. I can actually play around with the ball and have lots of fun in the field," he said.
He is quick to add, however, that flair is not what he chases. Not in test rugby.
"For me, I always put the team first. I know I can do a lot more on the field, but I know sometimes doing the basics [expletive] well on the field is a lot more important than doing flashy things," de Allende said.
World Cup gold, and a wedding that meant more
De Allende owns two Webb Ellis Cups — an achievement that places him in rare company among modern rugby players. Yet when he is asked about the moments that meant most, the conversation quickly turns away from trophies.
"Even for me after winning the World Cup, the only thing I really wanted to do was go home and be with my family and just celebrate with them, because I think that for me was more important," he said.
After the Springboks' 2019 triumph in Japan, that meant skipping parts of the victory tour altogether.
"I think for me the most important thing after winning the 2019 World Cup was being there for my brother to be with him when he got married. I think that was more important for me than winning the World Cup and being on the trophy tour. That was more special for me. The World Cup was very nice," de Allende said.
The woman who grounded him
De Allende credits his wife with steering him towards that perspective. He says meeting her — and later becoming a father of two — reshaped what he thought mattered in life.
"When I met my wife, she humbled me and brought me back down to earth. It made me realise that rugby is nice and everything, but it's not also the most important thing. Now I've been married with two kids, and I think that's the most important thing for me," he said.
Never forgetting where he came from
That grounding also comes from a childhood that was far from easy. De Allende's parents struggled financially during his upbringing in Cape Town, and he says those memories remain his strongest motivator.
"I didn't have much. Parents struggled a lot. For me, it's nice to always remind myself of how far I've come and how hard I've worked to get to where I am now. But I'll never forget what we went through as a family," de Allende said.
For a player often reduced to collision highlight reels, it is a portrait of a Springbok legend whose priorities have always been grounded in something far beyond the try-line.
