Former Bok centre assaulted in Nelspruit
NEWS: Grant Esterhuizen, the former Springbok centre with seven Test caps under his belt, was assaulted at a nightclub outside Mbombela on Saturday evening after watching the Test between South Africa and New Zealand.
The 46-year-old Esterhuizen, who made his debut for the Springboks in 2000, made a post on his Facebook in which he asked for help to find the culprits who attacked him.
He also represented the Blue Bulls, the Cats and the Stormers in his playing days.
Taking to social media, Esterhuizen posted photos of him in hospital with big bruises on his face.
He wrote: “Looking for two not so gentle men who took the time on Saturday night to hit me from the side and the back. These individuals belong to a motorcycle club in Nelspruit. Please help me find these criminals and prevent this from happening to anyone else in the future.”
Speaking to JacarandaFM on Wednesday, the big centre explained how two men, jumped him after the game outside the club.
“We were standing outside [the club] and this one guy comes to me and says he feels like he wants to hit me,” Esterhuizen said.
“I turned my back towards him and carried on with my conversation and the next thing I got hit really hard from the side. That’s pretty much the last of what I can remember.”
While trying to defend himself, he was hit with a helmet and knocked out. He called it a random act of violence.
“I’m pretty straightforward. When I have a couple of drinks, I always say I’m a lover and not a fighter.
Messages of support have flooded in since word got out of the assault, and Esterhuizen said: “I’m not leaving it here, we’ll keep fighting”.
He is getting help to get hold of footage of the incident, but up to now, he has not been successful.
Photo credit: Facebook/Grant Esterhuizen
