Bok prop Nche on Nkosi's mental health battles: 'It came as a shock'

Springbok prop Ox Nche says he was shocked to hear of former Sharks team-mate Sbu Nkosi's mental health struggles.

Nkosi, who joined the Bulls from the Sharks this year, went "missing" for three weeks after failing to report for training in Pretoria on Monday, 14 November.

The Bulls solicited police assistance to find him, opening a missing persons file with SAPS before franchise CEO Edgar Rathbone and the Bulls' security sponsor SSG combined to locate him in Emalahleni.

Nche said in a Sharks press conference on Tuesday that Nkosi's battles highlighted the need for sport stars to regularly check up on each other.

"Sbu is a smart guy. He works hard and he knows what he has to do," Nche told reporters.

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"And our jobs are not easy. Me and him, we have an understanding [as] colleagues and we get along off the field too. I think we are pretty good with each other.

"It came as a shock... I didn't expect it but that is the thing about mental health, you don't see it coming."

Nche added: "It was definitely concerning for me. It's a wake-up call to keep checking on each other and seeing how things are."

Nche and his Sharks team-mates are preparing for their Champions Cup opener against English club Harlequins at Kings Park On Saturday.

Kick-off is at 15:00.

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