Abongile Nonkontwana in action for the Cheetahs in 2019.

• Former Bulls loose-forward Abongile Nonkontwana believes the gruelling PRO14 competition prepared him for the challenge he’ll face in England.
• The 25-year-old signed for English second tier side Ealing Trailfinders, who have ambitions of gaining promotion to the Premiership.
• He said he enjoyed his time at the Cheetahs and his move to the Bulls was influenced by his relationship with former head coach Pote Human.

Former Bulls and Cheetahs loose-forward Abongile Nonkontwana said his time playing PRO14 rugby helped him prepare mentally for the challenge awaiting him at second tier English RFU Championship side Ealing Trailfinders.

The former SA Schools and SA Under-20 junior international has long had ambitions of joining an overseas club at some point in his career but the move had yet to materialise … until he was announced by the Trailfinders on Monday.

“I have wanted an overseas move for some time,” Nonkontwana told Sport24 from London, where he arrived over the weekend.

“When you start seeing most of the guys you played with at Junior Boks, most of them are Springboks, it feels like I [should be] in the same stage. I don’t know how to put exactly.

“The move from the Bulls to the Cheetahs became a fresh challenge for me and I did well. I feel like another challenge like that will bring the best out of me.

“I thrive when confronted with new challenges.”

South African rugby followers not attuned to the lower English leagues might scratch their heads when they hear of the Trailfinders but the West London club has been billed as being highly ambitious by its latest recruit.

Nonkontwana said their investment into recruiting quality players and their three runner-up finishes in the Championship on the trot convinced him that they could soon be in for a shout again for Premiership (top tier) rugby.

“What got me interested in the Trailfinders is that it’s an ambitious club,” he said.

“They’ve invested a lot in it over the past three years into getting Premiership status and it’s evident in their signings they’ve got this year from bigger clubs. They clearly want to achieve that.

“It was a great challenge for me. With Saracens coming down (relegated) and the battle for promotion … it will be tough but it’s a great challenge.

“I think, at 25, this is where I’ll fit in and I also want to make my mark in rugby, evolve and get better and better.

“PRO14 has helped equip me in terms of having a certain understanding of how the rugby is this side and the weather conditions but I honestly don’t think I’d ever get used to the weather.

“I have to adapt as quickly as possible but as least the PRO14 experience can prep me mentally.”

The 25-year-old was released by the Bulls on 20 July, with a year left on his contract, after it became apparent he wasn’t in new director of rugby Jake White’s future plans.

But he had no regrets about leaving Bloemfontein to return to the Bulls – a union that groomed him since he was St Alban’s First XV captain – back when Pote Human was in charge.

“My time at the Cheetahs was enjoyable,” Nonkontwana said.

“I got to enjoy my rugby again and we played exciting rugby. It was nice, new challenges in terms of playing abroad and winning a Currie Cup.

“A lot happened in a short space of time, so it was very memorable for me. It was nice playing with Junior (Pokomela) in particular because we got along and we could read each other and our communication was quite strong.

“I didn’t get to play with Oupa (Mohoje) because he got injured as I was arriving. For me, it was just a memorable pack to play in, and it will be hard to single out the best players. Ox (Nche) and Joseph (Dweba) were still there and Walt (Steenkamp) and Sintu (Manjezi) – it was a complete forward pack that I enjoyed playing with.

“[But] my decision to come back was due to the relationship with Pote; I’ve worked with him before and captained the Bulls Under-21 and SuperSport Challenge side under him

“With Daan Human moving to the Bulls as well, who I worked with at the Cheetahs and he welcomed me when I got there, it just made sense.

“I didn’t set big goals when I went back to the Bulls. I wanted to play as much Super Rugby as I could, be consistent, and I wanted the rest to follow.”