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Family accuses rugby officials of negligence and secrecy following Vilano Saunders’ death during an under-21 match.
Student Vilano Saunders broke his neck in a scrum. Picture: Supplied
The family of a 20-year-old rugby player, who died during a match a few months ago, is accusing the authorities of refusing to divulge the result of an investigation into the incident.
It is almost three months after Vilano Saunders, a second-year student at the North-West University (NWU) Vanderbijlpark campus, died.
Saunders broke his neck during the under-21 match held at the campus sport field in Vanderbijlpark.
Student rugby player broke his neck during match
Family representative Hennie Venter said yesterday that since the incident happened, no-one has kept them abreast with the investigation.
“I have e-mailed two letters to Etienne de Lange from the Falcons Rugby Union and he promised to get back to me, but he never did. We are disappointed in the way the family’s been mistreated,” said Venter.
“We also did not hear anything from NWU on whether they are also conducting an internal investigation.
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“With regards to litigation, we are still waiting for the autopsy report. That is why we need the Falken’s investigation report. It is shocking that Rugby South Africa and their unions don’t care.”
Venter said the family was reliably informed that De Lange was leading the investigation into the injury and death of Vilano.
Venter said as a procedure when the union concluded the investigation, it would hand over the report to the South African Rugby Union, which would check it, comment and release it.
Family accused NWU under-21 coach
The family is accusing the NWU under-21 coach and his team of fielding Vilano as a hooker, a position he was not trained in.
They believe his death could have been prevented had the coach followed the rugby union’s principles of playing.
“The family understands that rugby is a contact sport with risks but player welfare should supersede any risks taken by the coaches,” he said.
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“We feel that he should have been conditioned, trained and practised before having him play such a technical and dangerous position. The first time I learnt that Vilano played hooker was when I saw him in hospital.
“The first thing he said when he saw us at the hospital was to ask if he would be able to play rugby again. Then he asked me if he was paralysed and I said only temporarily.”
He said before his death, Saunders told him he was put in that position as a punishment because he previously missed a match.
Put in that position as a punishment
De Lange did not say why they were failing to update the family about the investigation, instead he said: “There are internal protocols taking place and we will issue a media statement when it has been finalised.”
NWU spokesperson Louis Jacobs said the university has not received any report about the matter.
