The Boland Rugby Union has launched an urgent investigation into the incident that left a rugby player brain-dead, the union said on Monday.
”The shocking incident between Rawsonville and Delicious is a cause for concern and the board has appointed a senior advocate to uncover the real facts of the incident,” the union’s spokesperson, Rayaan Adriaanse, said in a statement issued after a board meeting on Monday.
Riaan Loots (24), a flyhalf for Rawsonville Rugby Club, was declared brain dead on Friday night after he was kicked and punched on the head by an opponent from the Delicious Rugby Club during a match the same day in Rawsonville.
Adriaanse said the union will implement sanctions against players who were involved in the incident, adding that they violated the union’s code of conduct.
”We totally reject hooliganism, thuggery and inhumane incidents that cause serious injury to the players, administrators and spectators.
”The intolerance and the tendency to resort to violence when there are disagreements between fellow human beings is one big factor that has failed us in our attempts to transform the union,” said Adriaanse.
He added that Delicious’s participation in the Boland Rugby Programme has been suspended pending the investigation and a disciplinary hearing.
The board will also conduct full investigations into other problems within the union, including racism.
An urgent meeting will be called with all premier league clubs to stress the importance and the seriousness of the codes of conduct.
Adriaanse said the union was shocked at the incident and he conveyed his condolences to Loots’s family and friends.
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain Randall Stoffels said on Sunday a case of assault with an intent to do grievous bodily harm was being investigated but no arrests had been made yet. — Sapa