Bar brawl could KO top Bok's World Cup dreams

Sharks and Springbok hooker Lukas van Biljon's World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread.

A certainty for selection before this week's scandal - the second involving the robust hooker in less than two months - Van Biljon's only hope now is that an investigation clears him of intentional wrong-doing.

The latest bombshell - involvement in a brawl outside Joe Kool's nightclub in Durban in which he is alleged to have been an aggressor - burst on Friday when he was withdrawn from the Springbok World Cup preparations in Pretoria.

Van Biljon is now the subject of an investigation into the incident. This was confirmed by SA Rugby Pty Ltd managing director Rian Oberholzer. Van Biljon must be hoping his denial of serious involvement in the fight will be vindicated.

"We will be making a detailed inquiry," said Oberholzer. "He has been removed from the training camp pending our investigations." Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli was not available for comment.

The 27-year-old Van Biljon, who originally hailed from Welkom, admitted his involvement in the brawl, but says he was not an aggressor.

"Myself and two friends left the nightclub after a birthday party at about 2am last Sunday. My friends had had a lot to drink and an argument broke out in the car park between them and a group of youngsters. My friends were the aggressors; a fight started which I tried to break up. The whole thing was most unfortunate and I regret very much that it occurred."

A bystander, on condition of anonymity, has confirmed Van Biljon's version of the incident. A charge was originally laid against Van Biljon and his companions, but has since been withdrawn.

Coach Straeuli, surrounded by allegations of dirty play in recent tests involving his team, has pledged to root out miscreants and clean up the national team's act.

It has been another black week for the reputation of some of the country's leading players. Preceding the first Van Biljon incident - the hooker about six weeks ago was involved in a pub fight and accused of trashing a hotel room in Empangeni - earlier this week came a six-week ban on Sharks lock, AJ Venter.

Venter was banned for six weeks for a punching incident in last weekend's Currie Cup clash against Western Province. This was a second on-the-field offence this season for Venter. He also copped a suspension for head-butting WP centre Robbie Fleck in the Super 12.

The Weekend Argus has learnt that Venter had been forgiven for the earlier incident, and was a certainty for the World Cup team, until last week's Newlands incident.