A governing body has banned a parent from attending sport matches for the rest of the year after he manhandled a schoolboy rugby player moments after the final whistle.
In a separate incident, the Griqualand West Rugby Union (GWRU) has barred a 15-year-old boy from playing in 24 games after he pleaded guilty at a disciplinary hearing on Thursday night to assaulting a teacher who was a referee at a game.
After the shocking incident, the GWRU introduced drastic new rules which include host schools and clubs having to safely escort referees from the field after matches.
Christo Kemp, a teacher from Daniëlskuil High School in the Northern Cape, was assaulted by the pupil and a fellow pupil as well as five others, including a coach and four spectators, after a match between the school and Kathu High on May 28.
They were furious over Kemp’s handling of the match.
The Northern Cape Education Department confirmed that Kemp, who had to be hospitalised for a week, has been booked off sick until the end of the month.
Recent incidents of offensive and unacceptable behaviour at sports matches include:
- A parent grabbed a player from behind at an Under 16A rugby game between Northwood High and Kearsney College in KwaZulu-Natal on April 30, with other spectators becoming involved in “pushing and shoving”.
- The director of rugby at Menlopark High School in Pretoria, Nico Luus, reportedly being asked by the referee to watch part of the match between his school and Helpmekaar College from Johannesburg on May 7 from the pavilion after he disagreed with the referee for awarding a free kick to the opposing team.
- Pupils from Bishops in Cape Town allegedly throwing coins at opposition supporters during a match on May 21 that was won by Wynberg Boys’ High 1st XV rugby side.
- The cancellation of the final day of the annual sports derby between St John’s College from Johannesburg and Michaelhouse from the KZN Midlands on May 28 after a Michaelhouse player allegedly made a racial slur to a St John’s player.
The headmaster of Northwood High, Paul Viljoen, confirmed to the Sunday Times that the parent was “sanctioned and suspended” from all school-related activities, including sports activities, for the rest of the year.
“The code of conduct for parents has been circulated to our parent body as a reminder of the standard of discipline that is expected when representing our school.”
The code of conduct for parents has been circulated to our parent body as a reminder of the standard of discipline that is expected when representing our school
— Northwood High principal, Paul Viljoen
Anthony Clark, the rector of Michaelhouse, said the disciplinary hearing into the alleged incident has not been held because they were awaiting the outcome of an investigation by an independent legal consultant who is an acting high court judge in Johannesburg.
Her terms of reference is to look at the video footage and interview all witnesses, potential witnesses and stakeholders and consider whether there were grounds for disciplinary action.
“Her report is due to be handed to me and the executive head of St John’s College by Wednesday. Until we receive this report, it is difficult to establish precisely how we will proceed.”
Said Clark: “We have clear policies guiding behaviour. We believe our boys should be sportsmanlike and behave appropriately on and off the field. We regularly talk to our boys about their conduct on the field.”
Meanwhile, ahead of a league semi-final match between two Johannesburg schools, the organisers from one of the schools made a serious appeal to staff and parents not to make personal comments against players and referees.
Kat Swanepoel, the GWRU’s amateur manager, said the maximum sanction was imposed on the 15-year-old grade 9 pupil as prescribed by World Rugby regulations for under-15 players.
“He will probably be available for selection only at the end of grade 11 or the start of grade 12. The sanction must be a learning curve for him and if it takes 24 matches to bring him to reality then we are happy with it.”
Swanepoel said that they were making arrangements to hold disciplinary hearings for the others.
Jon Patricios, professor of sport and exercise medicine at Wits University, said parents perceive their status as being elevated if their children perform well on the sportsfield.
“There’s really a very elevated status to school sport which is probably disproportionate to where it should be and I think this distorts its value as an educational tool.”
He said parents who have never succeeded on the sportsfield “are living it out in terms of what their children are doing”.
“Perhaps it’s more of a testosterone-driven male and rugby thing but certainly I don’t say there’s any excuse for poor behaviour.”
Tim Gordon, CEO of the Association of Public Boys’ Schools of SA, said the effects of Covid has had quite a marked effect on people’s behaviour.
“Some people who feel that they have been starved of sport and are now completely going overboard.”
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