Toks van der Linde says the five former Springboks who tested positive for Covid-19 have all successfully recovered.
Former Springbok centre Danie Gerber was diagnosed positive for the virus last month.
Three other Springboks who were part of the team that toured New Zealand in 1981 – Divan Serfontein, Colin Beck and Burger Geldenhuys – all also tested positive playing at a golf day at Jan Kempdorp.
In addition, another former Springbok, Robbie Blair, who was also present at the golf day tested positive.
However, on his kykNET show Toks en Tjops, former Springbok prop Van der Linde said that all five had been cleared of the virus.
‘Danie is recovering well. Burger also … Burger was the only one of the five who got it who ended up in hospital. But he’s also much better now,’ Van der Linde said.
‘What I also found out from Divan is that all of them have been cleared by the Department of Health. They’re all healthy now and up and about again.’
The 1981 tour – known as the ‘rebel tour’ – polarised opinion and created controversy due to the international sports boycott of apartheid South Africa. It became known as much for the anti-apartheid protests as the on-field action.
‘It was a tough period for that team,’ said Van der Linde. ‘They had a tough time in New Zealand … and I think that fighting spirit helped pull them through.’
Photo: Gallo Images
