/ 25 July 2007

Two rugby players killed as car overturns

Two rugby players were killed, another may be paralysed and three other people were injured in a road accident in the Free State on Tuesday.

Captain Magda Muller said six people were en route from Soutpan heading in the direction of Welkom when their vehicle overturned after a tyre burst.

Two players were killed instantly while four others were injured, three seriously.

Nardus ”Pompies” Wessels and Ashley Mapisa were killed said Jan Marais, president of the Griffons rugby union.

Wessels, a prop, was contracted by the Sharks but had been rented to the Griffons to play in the Currie Cup, he said.

Marais said another player from the Sharks, Cedric Mkhisi, may not play rugby again due to the injuries he sustained.

”He might be a paraplegic now … it is a tragedy, the team [had] just started playing good rugby again … we won three of four games.

”The families are taking it terribly,” he said. – Sapa