Rhule ready to roll for La Rochelle

Springbok discard Raymond Rhule has overcome a dislike of running, the gym and stretching to establish himself as a vital cog for La Rochelle going into Saturday's European Champions Cup final against Leinster.

"What I'm living at the moment? A dream," Rhule told AFP.

"It's incredible for me, the club, the fans. Every summer you start a season to do something special and it's really incredible when you manage it."

At 29, Rhule's reinvention at La Rochelle is the latest episode in a life well travelled.

Born in Ghana, Rhule moved with his parents to South Africa at the age of seven and learned his rugby on the Highveld around the central city of Bloemfontein.

READ HERE | Tristan Leyds on brother Dillyn playing Champions Cup final: 'He's excited to create history'

His sheer speed saw him picked up by the Cheetahs, followed by the "Baby Boks", under-20 world champions in 2012, and finally the Springboks proper.

After notching up 43 tries in 116 matches in Super Rugby and Currie Cup, Rhule made his international debut in 2017, starting his career in a South African side that handed France three defeats.

But his international adventure came to a shuddering halt when his defensive frailities were highlighted in a 57-0 thrashing by the All Blacks.

Rhule became a scapegoat for that humiliation and chose exile over staying in South Africa.

He was signed up by La Rochelle's Top 14 rivals Grenoble and quickly overcame the often tricky language barrier with ease.

"There weren't many anglophones in the team, I didn't understand anything when I arrived, but I picked up French quickly," said Rhule, a polygot who speaks six languages.

The back said he struggled with the intensity of the Top 14, with "promotion and relegation which maintain a