Bok World Cup stars stranded

A NUMBER of World Cup-winning Springbok stars have been stranded in Japan and unable to get flights back to South Africa to be with their loved ones.

South Africa goes into lockdown tonight to curb peoples’ movements due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and some well-known rugby personalities may not get into the country in time.

Duane Vermeulen, Willie le Roux, Malcolm Marx, RG Snyman, Damian de Allende and Kwagga Smith all play club rugby in Japan, but the Top League season there has been cancelled.

Centre Jesse Kriel appeared to “get out” in time following the cancellation of international flights.

Speaking to www.springboks.rugby on Wednesday, Kriel said: “Fortunately, I was able to fly out of Japan on Tuesday morning”.

With him in Doha, Qatar, where he had to wait 21 hours for his connecting flight, was former Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, who is the coach of the Kubota Spears.

Two earlier flights out of Tokyo were cancelled, leaving Kriel and Ludeke stranded, but they were “fortunate and relieved”, according to Kriel, to get a re-arranged flight out.

Vermeulen (Kubota Spears), Marx (Shining Arcs), Snyman (Honda Heat) and De Allende (Wild Knights) had their flights out of Japan cancelled.

It is understood Vermeulen eventually boarded a plane yesterday afternoon.

It is not known whether the other players managed to get back to South Africa. Former Bok boss Allister Coetzee (Canon Eagles) and several other South Africans ply their trade in Japan.