The father of Springboks captain Eben Etzebeth has passed away ahead of South Africa’s Rugby Championship encounter against New Zealand on Saturday.

Lock Etzebeth is taking over as captain because flanker Siya Kolisi is hurt and won’t be able to play until August, a month before the Rugby World Cup starts in France.

The awful news was confirmed by Gerhard Ras, a friend of Etzebeth’s father, who posted it on Facebook.

“My old wrestling opponent & father of Springbok rugby captain, Harry Etzebeth, passed away last night (Tuesday). RIP,” Ras confirmed on Facebook.

If Etzebeth plays for the team that won the World Cup, it will be his first game since he hurt his shoulder three months ago.

If he couldn’t play in one of the biggest rugby rivalries, Jean Kleyn could replace him on the bench and RG Snyman would move up.

This year, because of the World Cup, there will only be three Rugby Championship games. The second-round Test in Auckland is likely to decide who wins the title.

Last weekend, both teams won impressively. In Pretoria, South Africa beat Australia 43–12, and in Mendoza, Argentina, New Zealand beat Argentina 41–12.

A family member of Harry Etzebeth said that he died on Tuesday night, but didn’t say anything else. He had been sick with cancer for a long time.

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