Springboks snub Andre Esterhuizen racism allegations
· The South African
The Springboks have shut down any questions relating to Andre Esterhuizen’s 2012 K-word racial scandal. This comes as the 32-year-old is set to captain the squad against the Wallabies on Sunday, 27 September.
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The rugby player and SA Rugby have come under fire for not addressing the public about the incident that made headlines 14 years ago.
SPRINGBOKS SNUB ANDRE ESTERHUIZEN K-WORD QUESTIONS
In a press briefing on Saturday morning, the Springboks warned media representatives not to bring up Andre Esterhuizen’s past transgressions using the K-word slur.
Media Manager Zeena Isaacs said, “Guys, just in advance, we are not dealing with the issue of the articles that are going around on social media and all sorts of things, so can I ask that you please stick to the game and ensure that all questions are game-related as opposed to all those other news articles that are going on around in South Africa.
She added, “So please respect that”.
Nevertheless, Andre was asked about the incident, but he did not answer as Isaacs stepped in to intervene.
This comes as social media users have called for both the rugby player and the team to address the “elephant in the room”.
X user @Blackieswart_ posted: “We’re going to need the @Springboks to address the André Esterhuizen situation. To be honest, we simply can’t have this guy captaining the team this weekend, given what’s happened in his history. I’m sorry. Not with the Boks trying to broaden their brand”.
@Oom_Rugby, added: “I think it will make sense for Andre himself to address it. As a Springbok captain, he owes us that”
@Reneilwe posted: “Andre needs to address this issue. Avoiding it means that he is hiding, and the whole Springbok organisation not addressing it is problematic. We’ll judge the change when we hear from him personally”.
To say Andre made a mistake is not really acurate . at the time it is what he believed. it is who he was.
— Oom Rugby (@Oom_Rugby) September 25, 2026
I think we can agree it was not a mistake.
So then we have to start by asking why this is something he believed. was he born this way?
no that is not how any kind of… https://t.co/sHdK8oOw84
We’re going to need the @Springboks to address the André Esterhuizen situation.
— Blackie Swart (@Blackieswart_) September 24, 2026
To be honest we simply can’t have this guy captaining the team this weekend given what’s happened in his history. I’m sorry. Not with the boks trying to broaden their brand.
LESSONS FROM SIYA KOLISI
Andre Esterhuizen was asked to share his feelings about captaining the Springboks.
He said: I’m just going out with the captaincy role, but it’s still all about the team. We’ve got so many leaders who help each other. And ultimately, it’s what we all do together on the field.
“We play together…So I’m taking it on as an honour, and I’m very happy about it, but ultimately, we’re all together as a team.
He added, “If you look at Siya, he’s been a tremendous leader for the Springboks. Just to always see him composed and calm, no matter what the situation is, and obviously relying on the guys around him as well. He knows when to step back and when to step up. I think that’s something I’ve taken from him.”