His retirement from rugby was a challenge for the extremely talented Gaffie du Toit, who played in 14 tests for the Springbokke and, over a period of 12 years, did out for teams such as Griekwas, the Sharks, Western Province, Free State Cheetahs, Toulouse and SWD.
However, Du Toit has made a positive head move, getting involved in the packaging industry and is a senior sales manager in Bloemfontein for Cispak, a packaging company that focuses on fertilizers and livestock feed.
"It's easy to get on the road to rugby," he said. "A person is "one of the men" for so long and you think you know everything.
"Until one stops playing... Then things don't come your way by themselves; you have to go and get it. ”
Du Toit also continued his studies, and after initially completing a diploma in logistics and supply management, he also earned an honors degree in business management at the University of the Free State.
Gabriël Stephanus du Toit, who was born on 24 March 1976 in Cape Town, matriculated at Augsburg Agricultural Gymnasium in Clanwilliam, where his father was the principal. Du Toit is still Augsburg's only Springbok.
"It was the best time," he remembers, "because it was an agricultural school."
"It had a rural atmosphere and one basically went to school on a farm." We wore overalls and worked with sheep and cattle.
"And then, of course, there was also sport." My father, as head, was passionate about sports, and of the 120 boys on Augsburg played 100 rugby; rugby was like a faith... ”
The 1998 season was Gaffie du Toit's big breakthrough at senior level.
"André Markgraaff came to fetch me on Maties," he remembers. "That year I played for Maties against Durban Collegians in the National Club Championships, and also had a good match for WP U/21 against Natal U/21.
"Markies took me to Griekwas based on that, and that's where things happened for me..." ”
Du Toit completes the first Vodacom Cup competition in 1998, which Griekwas palmmed, as the top point scorer (236) and he is also the overall top point scorer in SA rugby that year with a total of 388.
His contribution to Griekwas's success secured him a place in the Springbokspan, and he celebrates his test debut with South Africa's victory of 37-13 over Ireland in Bloemfontein on June 13, 1998.
"I was raw and quite overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the occasion." I only played club rugby a few months before and had no Super 12 or Currie Cup experience. ”
If Du Toit thought his test debut was hard to process, then his first introduction to the mighty All Blacks a year later at Carisbrook, Dunedin's dreaded 'House of Pain', was a brutal denugration.
Not only did the Springboks run a burden of 0-28 on the body, but Du Toit and his equally young and inexperienced midfielder, Dave von Hoesslin, later went through under swirling criticism from Bok coach Nick Mallett.
"One only realizes years later how inexperienced you really were," Du Toit said. "We were panicking and just couldn't seize the opportunity."
"Nick was used to a loose switch like Henry Honiball, who only became a Springbok at a late stage and was a very ripe player." Then this young looser appeared on the scene, the media puts pressure on and he picks me, but Dave and I were still too green.
"I don't have sleepless nights about it and there are no evil feelings." At the end of the day, everyone learned from it, and Mallett admitted years later on SuperSport that he made a mistake and should have approached things differently.
"Luckily, in 2004, under Jake White, I got another opportunity to play Springbok." I was a more developed player then, who could handle the pressure. ”
Du Toit played eight tests under White, of which a 39-7 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires was probably his best in green and gold. He scored two tries and passed with four goals and two penalties.
"I was more aware of myself, I was more salted in this thing..." ”
Towards the end of his career, Du Toit spent three seasons at Toulouse and he considers it to be some of his most enjoyable times in rugby.
"I'm a home-bound person, but going to France opened up a whole different world for me," he said.
"The fierce pressure that one was experiencing locally was off and I was able to play with greater freedom, without any preconceived ideas."
"It was also nice to get to know a new culture with my family. We lived among the French, were forced to learn to speak the language, enjoyed their wine and food, and experienced the country in its fullness... ”