School player assaulted, hospitalised
Playing for Germiston Simmer last Saturday, against Roodepoort at the Roodepoort club, 17-year-old Matthew Germishuizen was, allegedly, assaulted so badly by another player or by the other player's father or by both that he had to be taken to hospital.
Accounts of what happened vary but it is confirmed that the police have opened a case of assault. Their spokesperson, Warrant Officer Nonhlanhla Khumalo, said: "The suspect is not yet arrested and the investigation is still continuing."
The teams are part of a youth programme organised by Gauteng clubs.
They have youth teams from lower age groups to Under-18. Matthew Germishuizen of Alberton is a Grade 11 pupil at King Edward VII School in Houghton. The school had stopped playing early in August, but Matthew Germishuizen is clearly keen enough on the game to turn out for Germiston Simmer, an East Rand club.
There was fighting in the match and the referee showed a Roodepoort player a red card for foul play. Fighting broke out and he then called the match off early – it is alleged.
Germishuizen's mother and her husband, Louwtjie, a Germiston Simmer coach, were at the match.
She reported that the other player's father ran onto the field when his son was red-carded, demanding the referee withdraw the red card and then joining his son in assaulting Matthew. Germishuizen senior then ran onto the field to support his son and was attacked by the Roodepoort players, losing two teeth. Germishuizen's mother said that her son suffered a broken nose, a fractured eye socket and concussion. He was taken by paramedics to the intensive care unit at Union Hospital where he underwent surgery on Tuesday. He was in hospital for four days.
The President of the Roodepoort club is reported to have a different version – that the fight was between the two players and the father of the 'other player' went onto the field to break up the fight. He added: "Then everybody got involved in the free-for-all.
"I can't really elaborate because of the disciplinary hearing that's going to take place from the Golden Lions side. We're still busy getting all the affidavits together.”
The Golden Lions Rugby Union has schedule a disciplinary meeting for Tuesday, September 2, at Ellis Park to investigate the matter.
Till then neither the union, under whose jurisdiction the tournament took place, nor the school are making any comment.
The union's only comment was: "We want to make it clear that physical and verbal abuse of any kind on any level in rugby will not be tolerated."
