‘He deserved better’ – Family blames coaches for son’s fatal rugby injury

RIP

Cape Town – The family of 20-year-old North-West University (NWU) student Vilano Saunders is reportedly accusing the university’s coaching staff of negligence following his death after a rugby match on May 3.

According to the family, Saunders was forced to play as a hooker — a highly technical and dangerous front-row position — for the first time without proper training or preparation, The Citizen reported. 

Saunders, a second-year student at NWU’s Vanderbijlpark campus, broke his neck during a scrum early in the game.

He had reportedly only been told days before that he would be playing hooker and received a brief five-minute explanation of the role in the locker room.

Family spokesperson Hennie Venter said Saunders had only ever played as a prop and not as a hooker, and suggested he may have been placed in the unfamiliar position as punishment for missing a previous match.

“It was the first time he played as a hooker at the very first scrum in the game. I thought he was playing flank.

“He was put into the hooker position, which is a perilous, specialised and dangerous position in the rugby game. He had no experience at all,” the report quoted Venter as saying.

After collapsing on the field, Saunders was first taken to Midvaal Private Hospital, where a CT scan revealed the seriousness of his injury. Due to the need for specialised care and the high cost of treatment at Midvaal, he was transferred to Sebokeng Hospital, where he later died.

According to Ster Sedibeng, the injury occurred within the first 30 minutes of play.

The family has expressed outrage at what they see as gross negligence, saying Saunders was not given the necessary conditioning or time—typically six to eight weeks—to prepare for such a demanding role.

They also claimed the NWU coach ignored a suggestion from the opposing team’s coach to play uncontested scrums due to a lack of trained front-row players.

While NWU has denied the claims, stating Saunders had the training and was not forced into the role, the matter is currently under investigation by the relevant rugby union.

Tributes have been pouring in, with the Vanderbijlpark Mustangs Rugby Club offering condolences:

“Rugby is more than just a sport — it is a brotherhood. When one of us falls, we all feel the loss… May his memory live on in the hearts of all who knew him.”

The family has also reportedly begun legal consultations regarding a case against NWU.

Despite their anger, they acknowledged the support received from the rugby community, the university’s coaching staff, and the under-21 team.

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