Could bar brawl derail South Africa's Rugby World Cup campaign?
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – A bar brawl in a small Western Cape town has caused deep divisions across South Africa and raised concerns that it could derail the country’s Rugby World Cup campaign in Japan.
Accusations that Springbok star Eben Etzebeth used a racial slur in a bar in Langebaan in August continue to grow along with calls for him to be dropped from the team and brought home in disgrace.
The team which plays Canada on Tuesday is virtually guaranteed to secure a quarter-final spot.
As previously reported by PANA, witnesses said Etzebeth used the word "hotnot", a derogatory term referring to mixed race people.
The towering 27-year-old forward has vehemently denied the allegations, saying “I am and will always strive to be a true ambassador to this beautiful rainbow nation and the sport that I love”.
Weekend media reports emerged suggesting Etzebeth and his friends who have been labelled the “Wolf Pack” are notorious for their misconduct in the resort town.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has instituted legal proceedings against Etzebeth in the Equality Court but the opposition FF Plus has accused the commission of double standards, questioning the apparent urgency with which it is handling the hate speech allegations.
The South African Rugby Union on Monday said it will appoint a retired judge to lead an internal investigation into the allegations while police have submitted a criminal docket to the National Prosecuting Authority.
South Africa has won the tournament twice, in 1995 and 2007.
-0- PANA CU/AR 7Oct2019
