Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen captained South Africa against Australia in Perth on Sunday. His appointment drew criticism on social media over a racial abuse case from 2012.
IOL Sport reported that details of the case came back into public view before the Test against the Wallabies. The incident happened 14 years ago, when Esterhuizen was an 18-year-old schoolboy.
He was playing for Klerksdorp High School against Potchefstroom Gymnasium at the time. According to IOL Sport, he was found guilty of directing a racial slur at Thabo Molete. Molete was then the first-team coach at Potchefstroom and head of the Leopards’ Grant Khomo side.
Esterhuizen appeared before a Leopards Rugby Union disciplinary panel. The panel gave him a one-year ban, suspended for six months. The condition was that he completed a life skills course.
He was also removed from the Leopards’ Craven Week squad at the time, IOL Sport reported.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and SA Rugby did not address the matter in public before the match, according to the publication.
“Erasmus and SA Rugby opted for silence, while journalists were barred from asking questions on the matter,” IOL Sport said in a column.
The column said the team had broken with its own habit of openness. It described the media approach as “defensive and cloak-and-dagger”.
The writer said the public may never hear more about the case because of that silence. The column also said Esterhuizen was a schoolboy at the time and had likely learned from his punishment.
IOL Sport said the approach stood out because Erasmus is known for speaking plainly. It said he has explained selection criteria and owned tactical mistakes in press conferences after matches.
Erasmus became head coach in 2018. IOL Sport said he put transformation at the centre of rebuilding the team. The Springboks have since won back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles.
The column said earlier Springbok coaches had neglected transformation. It said the national team had for years fielded only one or two players of colour, usually on the wing.
It said Erasmus had opened the door for black and brown players over the last eight years.
The Springboks played the Test at Optus Stadium without some of their first-choice players. IOL Sport said the team lacked the composure it has shown as double world champions.
Esterhuizen made several costly mistakes in the final quarter of the match, the publication reported.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.