Alleged K-word scandal: Who is Springbok Andre Esterhuizen?

South African professional rugby union player Andre Esterhuizen was accused of using the K-word during a schoolboy match in 2012. Here’s five things to know about the Springboks captain.

THE K-WORD SCANDAL

Shortly after Andre Esterhuizen was named the 68th Springbok captain in history, he was also called out for allegedly using the K-word during a schoolboy match in 2012. X-users revisited a report from 2012 that claimed that a rugby player, with the same name as him, was found guilty and punished for using the K-word.

Radio personality Anele Mdoda also reacted to report, calling for him to be banned.

“He should be banned from playing rugby period!” she wrote on X.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ANDRE ESTERHUIZEN

• He’s known as “Andre the Giant”. Standing at roughly 1.93m and weighing around 116kg, Esterhuizen is a physically imposing centre who has been given a fitting nickname to match his size.
• Esterhuizen was born and raised in Klerksdorp. Before becoming a rugby star, Esterhuizen was born in Klerksdorp and later relocated to Durban in 2013, making his Sharks debut the following year.
• He made his Springbok debut in 2018. Esterhuizen earned his first cap for the Springboks in 2018, kickstarting a career defined by power and physicality in the midfield.
• Esterhuizen spent four seasons in England with Harlequins. Esterhuizen spent four seasons with Harlequins in England, where he was part of the squad that won the Premiership title in 2021.
• He’s a proud family man. Off the field, Esterhuizen and his wife, Mabea, are raising three children together, and the family is reportedly planning a new coastal home near Durban.