Reveal all ‘Staaldraad’ footage axed
“We wish to advise that the breakfast presentation planned for Wednesday, 25 February, has been cancelled,” the insurance administrators sponsoring the event said.
The cancellation comes after a request from the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU) to the organisers to put off the function until a probe into the camp, which has become known as ‘Staaldraad’ (Steel Wire) was completed.
Footage of the training at the military-style camp last year, including players being forced naked into a freezing lake to pump up rugby balls underwater, were leaked to the media and broadcast world-wide.
Weekend reports said retired Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen and former national coach Rudolf Straeuli were set to earn thousands of dollars from the showing of the material at the breakfast.
It later emerged that Straeuli was to be only a guest speaker while uncertainty remained over whether proceeds from the function were to be donated to a fund for disabled rugby players.
Songezo Nayo, managing director of SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd, the commercial arm of South African rugby, said he explained to SARFU and Van der Westhuizen that an executive had been appointed to gather information on the camp to allow SARFU to put the matter to rest.
Nayo said he had given Van der Westhuizen the assurance that the process was “well under way and should be completed shortly”.
“On the basis of this assurance, Van der Westhuizen confirmed that he would call off the planned function,” Nayo said.
When plans for the screening emerged, Van der Westhuizen said: “We want to take this whole thing a step back and show exactly what happened.”
“The players were humiliated because they were shown naked on television and in newspapers. We want to tell an exclusive crowd the truth.”
Straeuli was forced to resign on December 4 after the Springboks’ unsuccessful World Cup campaign and after details of Staaldraad emerged.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
