Latest news with #SchalkBurger
The South African
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
PICTURE: Kolisi and Burger's sons face off in school rugby game
Siya Kolisi and Schalk Burger are two of the greatest loose forwards to have ever laced up their boots for the Springboks, and it's no surprise that a passion for sport and rugby has been passed down to their children. In a heartwarming photo doing the rounds, Nicol Burger and Nicholas Kolisi can be seen posing after an Under-11 rugby match between SA College High School (SACS) and Bishops Diocesan College. Burger Jnr plays as a flank for SACS, while Kolisi Jnr plays at lock or loose forward for Bishops. 'The lads played their hearts out,' said Schalk Burger Snr, the grandfather of Nicol, when chatting to City Press . 'You can see they're covered in mud and everything, but off the field there is friendship. 'This is characteristic of how my son Schalk was, too. He never backed down from anything on the field, but afterwards he wanted to have a drink and be friends. So it's that tradition that lives on.' DO YOU ENJOY THIS SORT OF WHOLESOME CONTENT? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Irish Sun
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Ireland star ‘had double vision' after being ‘eye gouged' while playing for Lions but ‘glad rival wasn't given red card'
LUKE FITZGERALD revealed he was left with "double vision" from an eye gouge suffered while playing for the Lions. But the former 2 Luke Fitzgerald was left with double vision from an eye gouge while playing for the Lions Credit: AP:Associated Press 2 But he is glad Schalk Burger was not red carded for it Credit: Action Images - Reuters Fitzgerald was one of 15 players included by Lions head coach Ian McGeechan for the 2009 Tour of South Africa . The Springboks won the series outright 2-1, having won the first two Tests in Durban and Pretoria before the Lions emerged victorious in the third in Johannesburg. Fitzgerald was reflecting on that tour ahead of Australia . And he said: "(South Africa) was an amazing place to go on tour - I really felt for the crew who went down there during COVID. Read More on Lions "As we all know, they're a very passionate bunch, the South African supporters. But then, when you bring the Lions red sea contingent into it, it was a brilliant couple of weeks. "I think we got that last tour just before camera phones, having a little bit of the professional side of things, but also some of the amateur era stuff which was pushed from Ian McGeechan and the management. "We all got on like a house on fire , had a great time out there, it was a brilliant test series. "It was pretty closely fought, we had some missed opportunities in the first test, but everyone remembers that second test in Pretoria - what a battle that was. Most read in Rugby Union "It was a great one to be involved with, although unfortunately we came out on the wrong side of it. "It was an amazing tour, with amazing people. Shocking moment enormous brawl breaks out in rubgy league after 'horrendous hit' "You always have that little bit of a connection with other Lions just because of what you've gone through and I think it's great to hear the other lads' stories as well." The second Test proved to be a controversial one. Within the first minute, Schalk Burger - who did not play in the opening Test - appeared to make contact with the eyes of Fitzgerald. He was only shown a yellow card and thus sent to the sin bin for the following ten minutes. The 2004 World Rugby Player of the Year was suspended for eight weeks for the transgression after the fact. But Fitzgerald revealed he was glad the Springbok was not shown red on the day. WRESTLING MATCH He explained: 'The eye gouge - it was kind of unusual. "Us wingers generally try to stay out rucks as much as possible, but I found myself somehow in a ruck next to Schalk Burger and it wasn't a pleasant experience. 'It was mad - he gouged me, on his 50th Test cap as well! "I found myself wrestling with him; which is never a good idea, but he decides to gouge me on top of it after making mincemeat out of me. 'It was a bad start to the test, I had double-vision for pretty much the rest of the game really. "He only got a yellow card for it, which was the big talking point of that tour, even though the linesman told the referee at the time 'he's gouged him'. 'He asked me and I said 'he did gouge me, I don't know what to say and don't want to be a rat, but he did do that'. 'It was unfortunate and they were very lucky to get away with that one. "The pressure of the crowd and the atmosphere at Loftus Versfeld, all of those things were probably contributing factors to it. 'In some ways, it was good that it didn't ruin his big day, which would have been a disaster for a guy who's an all-time great, to have cost them a test match on his 50th cap. "From a Lions perspective, it wasn't so great. It was still an unbelievable Test match, we still had plenty of opportunities to win the game, close out the game." JOINT PAIN The former Leinster man was not the only one to count his bruises in what was a gruelling contest. The 37-year-old said: 'At half-time, I'll never forget the scenes in our dressing room - Adam Jones, his shoulder was out, so he was trying to get that put back in. "He's a big boy in fairness, so it's hard to get that shoulder back in. 'You could hear people in agony at the side of the changing room and the rest of us were just picking ourselves together. "There were guys who had been knocked out and stuff, so it was a brutal test match. 'They were an unbelievable team and we almost brought it to a third test, unfortunately not, but it was a brilliant occasion.' Luke Fitzgerald was speaking to Sydney and Melbourne Tests.
