DURBAN – He may be a dentist during the week, but on weekends when the Boks line up for a big match, Joshua Nkosi becomes the Zulu warrior throwing down a challenge and creating a tremor in rivals.
Taking on the title of “Impi”, the 26-year-old from Durban will ramp up the aggression levels on the rugby field before the Boks’ titanic clashes.
After graduating from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2014, Nkosi opened his dental practice in Johannesburg. He has also taken the title of World Champion and Mr Universe in bodybuilding, and it is the combination of bodybuilding and rugby that gets him to tick.
“I started bodybuilding when I was in high school. In 2013, I won the KZN provincial championships under the WFF (World Fitness Federation). Then I won the national championships and went to Greece to compete, where I won the 2013 world title. In 2014, I won the national championships and then Mr Universe in South Korea.
“People asked why I wanted to be ‘Impi’ when I have a successful practice, but it’s not about money.
“I played rugby at university. The university was so supportive, I was given a scholarship through my bodybuilding. I have a passion for rugby, so this role allows me to combine my two passions and do something for my country,” said Nkosi.
Inspired by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Nkosi works out at the gym for two hours every morning before heading to his practice and patients, where he is far less frightening than when he takes to the field.
Nkosi summons up the ferocity needed to rattle rivals in the changing room.
“You have to prepare yourself. I check out the atmosphere and attendance of the crowd, then I listen to the Impi track. I do some push-ups to pump myself up. It’s not about me, but South Africa,” he said.