South African Habana races against a plane

Rugby star Habana sets off in a runway race against an aeroloplane. PHOTO BY Agencies

Paris- Bryan Habana is known for being one of the fastest men in rugby but you would not expect him to have the wheels of an Airbus A380.

The winger has previously kept pace with a cheetah but he was keen to show that he has not lost a yard following his recent move to Toulon. Powered by FOUR Rolls Royce engines, the jet can reach flight speeds up to 600mph but Habana showed off his explosive start by winning the race down the runway.

It may not be the most conventional pre-season preparation, but it should put the 30-year-old in good shape. Perhaps the Springbok was spurred on by Mick Jagger’s glamorous daughter, Georgia May, who was waving the start flag.

Habana is not the only high-profile arrival in the South of France this summer.

Leciester’s Martin Castrogiovanni has also signed for the French giants alongside Australian winger Drew Mitchell.
The 30-year-old Habana has already enjoyed a glittering career and his sights are now set on a place in next year’s Rugby World Cup.

About Habana
Bryan Gary Habana (born 12 June 1983 in Benoni, Gauteng Province) is a South African rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, the Stormers in Super Rugby, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions Springboks. Habana was one of the stars of the World Cup, his eight tries equalling the record set by Jonah Lomu in 1999, and was named the 2007 IRB Player of the Year.

Named after former Manchester United footballers Bryan Robson and Gary Bailey, he played outside centre and scrumhalf in provincial and age group rugby, but once he was moved to the wing a vast improvement was seen.
Prior to his first year of Super Rugby he was selected for the Springboks, scoring a try with his first touch of the ball in test rugby in the end-of-season match against England at Twickenham in 2004.
Habana won international acclaim for his championship-winning try in the 2007 Super 14 final.

He became an international rugby superstar in his own right with his record equaling 8 tries in the 2007 Rugby World Cup (the record set by Jonah Lomu in 1999). Habana made his national team debut in 2003.