South African sport star Makazole Mapimpi shocked most fans when the news that he is expecting a child with his wife went viral.
It is reported that the Springboks star, also a fashion model, missed the recent game between New Zealand and South Africa in Ellis Park because his wife is due to give birth anytime soon.
“Mapimpi spent the week in KwaZulu-Natal for the birth of his child, and will remain in the province where he will be available for selection for the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV for their Carling Currie Cup clash against the Vodacom Bulls in Durban on Sunday,” read a statement from SA Rugby.
Mapimpi’s supporters were shocked that he had a wife and they were having a baby because he has always kept his love life private.
“You see why we need ‘Top Billing’ back on our screens? We wouldn't have found out that Mapimpi is married and is about to have a baby like this,” said @moesuttle.
Others expressed how happy they were for the Relevance For Men Tailored Suits ambassador, who had no family and that he’s finally having a little family of his own.
“I'm so happy over the Mapimpi news. When Rassie said he submitted his own pictures for the 2019 World Cup jerseys because he didn't have a family, my heart broke for him. Now he has a family,” said @lazola_.
Family is such a huge culture in the Springboks team because the coach, Rassie Erasmus, believes that players do better when they have a family support structure.
“If you can’t trust somebody with their family there but now you want somebody in front of 85 000 people to make the right decisions and do it for the country, but you say if his family is there he’s going to be distracted.
“If he doesn’t have the ability to handle his family and his wife or his children in such a way that he can control that and stay focused on the programme, surely you can’t trust him,” Erasmus said.