Humiliating apology from de Villiers for defending gouging

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers has been forced into a humiliating apology for suggesting rugby players should “get some nice tutus and have a great dancing show” if they didn’t accept gouging was part of the game.

De Villiers met with South African Rugby Union chiefs to discuss the comments made after Schalk Burger’s gouging of Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald during the second Test in Pretoria.

After initially suggesting gouging was part of the game, De Villiers later issued a public apology. He said: “Eye gouging is something that we as a team will never be part of.