A 20-year-old student died when he broke his neck during a scrum clash in a college match after coaches apparently put him in to play as hooker as a punishment for missing a match.
Vilano Saunders had been in the scrum front row in the North West University under-21s team on 3rd May during a match at his campus in Vanderbijlpark, central South Africa.
Paramedics rushed him to Midvaal Private Hospital where he died two days later on 5th May.
Picture shows Vilano Saunders, undated. He broke his neck while playing rugby in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa and died on May 5, 2025. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Newsflash/NX)
Family spokesman Hennie Venter said Vilano felt a build up of pressure on his neck, then heard a loud snap and lost all sensation in his body as he fell to the ground.
He claimed Vilano, who had no experience of playing hooker, was put in the position as a punishment for missing a previous match.
Venter said: "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. He had no experience at all."
Picture shows Vilano Saunders and an unnamed girl, undated. He broke his neck while playing rugby in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa and died on May 5, 2025. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)
He added: "He did not even practice being a hooker. The matter needs to be investigated because the decision was wrong."
Venter talked of an emotional hospital bedside visit with Vilano.
He said: "The first thing he said when he saw us in 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.
“The family is angry at the negligence of the NWU coaching staff."
He added: "We have set out to prove that the negligence of the coaching staff of NWU has cost the family the life of their beloved son."
Uni officials deny any wrongdoing by the coaching staff.
Picture shows Vilano Saunders, undated. He broke his neck while playing rugby in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa and died on May 5, 2025. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Newsflash/NX)
Spokesperson Louis Jacobs said: "NWU does not have any knowledge of Vilano being forced to play in the front row for any reason and that he had the training and experience to do so.
"The tragic incident is being investigated by the relevant rugby union."
Hooker is one of the most gruelling positons on the rugby pitch with experts saying their necks can suffer 1,000 newtons of pressure, about the same force as a small jet engine.
Studies show that of rugby players suffering spinal or cervical injuries 78 per cent of them were hookers.
(MJ Leidig/newsX)