Springbok flank Schalk Burger has vehemently denied reports that he was involved in an incident of road rage in Stellenbosch a fortnight ago.
”Schalk did not harm the other driver in any way. Any allegation that Schalk assaulted the other driver is blatantly untrue,” read a statement issued by Sport International Management Company on behalf of Burger on Tuesday.
According to the Cape Times, Burger allegedly left an unidentified Parow man with a broken jaw after he drove into Burger’s car in Stellenbosch on January 10.
Cape Town police would not disclose on Tuesday whether the International Rugby Board’s Player of the Year is being investigated for an alleged road-rage incident.
”We are not disclosing any names,” said Captain Elna de Beer.
She did, however, confirm that the Stellenbosch police are investigating two cases.
One relates to an assault charge laid at the police by a Parow man in his late twenties. There is a counter-charge of malicious damage to property by a 21-year-old man.
De Beer said both men will appear in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court on February 3.
The control prosecutor at Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court said no docket has been received yet.
Legal action
Burger said he is contemplating taking the Cape Times to court over the incident.
”Schalk is considering legal action against the Cape Times after the police informed Mr Burger Snr that the untrue allegations in the report did not originate from the police,” Burger’s statement read.
”On Monday evening, 10 January 2005, at midnight, Schalk Burger parked his car in a parking space in the street in front of the Town Hall in Stellenbosch. He was accompanied by his girlfriend, Michelle, and a friend, Johan du Plessis.
”Another vehicle was parked in front of Schalk’s vehicle but was facing the wrong direction. This vehicle suddenly moved forward and bumped into Schalk’s car. Schalk got out of his car and asked the other driver to reverse his car so that he could see what the damage was.
”The other driver swore at Schalk and again drove his car into Schalk’s car after he reversed. This the other driver repeated to the extent that he drove no less than four times into Schalk’s car.”
Burger and his friends noticed that ”the other driver was extremely drunk”. According to the statement, Burger then removed the keys of the other vehicle to stop the other driver from continually crashing into his car.
”Schalk also took the driver’s licence of the other driver to prove his identity and to lay a charge with the police.
Burger went to the Stellenbosch police station the following morning, where he reported the incident for insurance purposes.
Later on the same day, the police told Burger they had arrested the other driver, who only then laid a charge of assault against him.
Van Biljon suspended
Meanwhile, in another recent incident involving a prominent rugby player, former Bok hooker Lukas van Biljon has been suspended for eight weeks following a nightclub fracas with a resident of Bloemfontein last Wednesday, during the Cats Super 12 training camp.
Van Biljon was called back to his home union, the Golden Lions Rugby Union, for a hearing where it was decided that to cover the costs of the life-skills programme, Van Biljon will also have to sacrifice 50% of his salary during the next eight weeks and can only be reconsidered for the Cats team after this period.
Van Biljon has indicated that he feels deeply embarrassed and remorseful about the incident. — Sapa