Ronald Brown: The cancer survivor who took rugby sevens by storm

In April 2019, Ronald Brown was preparing to make his debut for the South Africa men's rugby sevens team in Los Angeles when everything suddenly came crashing to halt.

He had been training with chest pain, thinking it was a minor cartilage injury. The discomfort refused to subside, and further scans revealed that he had stage-two Hodgkin’s lymphoma - a cancer that attacks the immune system and limits the body's ability to fight infection.

Brown had gone from training for what was supposed to have been the most exciting moment of his career with the world-beating Blitzboks, to sitting in a hospital about to start chemotherapy, and staring at an eight-month absence from the game.

“The first thing I wanted to know was can I play rugby again,” Brown told World Rugby.

“The doctor told me that I could, and that was the dream that kept me alive.”

On top of the emotional support of family, friends and teammates, the South African union ensured that Brown would remain a contracted player.

In this way, they could support him financially and aid his return into the team after treatment.

After a positive start to his rehabilitation, things quickly became a lot more difficult.

By the third session of chemotherapy, Brown had become nauseous and couldn’t keep food down. This meant that he became too weak to do even light training.

“Mentally it also drained me, seeing the changes in the body, seeing the loss of hair, the loss of muscle,” he continued.

“That was the lowest point. As a rugby player, (training) keeps me going, keeps me motivated. I went to a dark place… because that’s what kept me alive as a young boy.”

Ronald Brown's gruelling road to Tokyo 2020

In total, Brown lost 11 kilos, which is critical mass for a rugby sevens player.

After finishing his treatment, the Montagu-born player moved back to his parents house to recover.

In his darkest hours, when he felt too tired to get out of bed, it was them that encouraged and motivated him to start moving again, even if just around the house.

Eventually, his strength started to return and he decided to start training with the national team again. Not only would this turbo-charge his own recovery, but he also wanted to help his teammates prepare for the Dubai leg of the 2019-20 World Sevens Series.

Then COVID hit. But the year's delay to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics gave Brown a better chance of making the plane to Japan.

“It worked out pretty well for me personally, because I needed more time. It gave me an extra two, three months to prepare and build up my fitness,” he said.

Despite not playing any competitive matches, Brown’s stellar performances in training over the next year convinced coach Paul Treu to select him for the Games, noting that ‘he had remarkably come back an even better player’.

It was a hugely emotional moment not only for the young rugby player and his family, but for everyone in his hometown. The day before Brown was due to leave for Japan, the local residents organised a parade driving past his house in order to show their admiration and wish him luck.

South Africa eventually had to settle for a disappointing fifth-place finish at the tournament, but Brown played, and scored tries, and his presence there as a player was a victory in itself that transcended sport.

“I was nervous to be there. But being there around all the other great athletes both men and women from all the sports made me so grateful. To see the statue with the wings is obviously something you will never forget, he said.

“We had a lot of ups and downs. But where I come from, as an individual, I feel proud and honoured to have represented my country at that level.”

Inspiring underprivileged kids back home

Brown’s hometown of Montagu suffers with social problems, meaning crime is an everyday norm.

But through seeing one of their favourite sons represent their nation as a professional athlete and an Olympian after going through cancer treatment, the player hopes that he can inspire others to do the same.

“I want people to see me and know they can overcome anything,” he said.

“You can dream and you can achieve your goal. It doesn’t matter where you come from. I could see the kids seeing me as an inspiration, and that’s what I want to be for the kids in Montagu to help them achieve their goals.”

Brown has since established himself as a mainstay of the team.

At the time of writing in the 2021/22 World Series, despite missing the last two legs in Spain through injury, he is the eighth-top scorer overall with 94 points.

He returns to the team for the Singapore Sevens on 9-10 April, where South Africa will be hoping to defend their title.