Springboks wing Sbu Nkosi missing from 3 weeks, club says there is ‘grave concern’ over his safety
- Police admit fears about player’s safety, with World Cup winner not heard from for 3 weeks
- Club side says attempts to contact 26-year-old through ‘calls, texts and house visits’ have all gone unanswered
Springboks winger Sbu Nkosi has been missing for three weeks, his South African club side Bulls said on Saturday, with police admitting “concerns about the player’s safety”.
The 26-year-old, a Rugby World Cup winner three years ago, made the last of his 16 Test appearances in October 2021.
He was named in South Africa’s squad for their tests against Ireland, France, Italy and England in November, but was ruled out of the autumn internationals after suffering a rib injury while playing for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship.
In a statement, the Bulls said the player’s “last known contact with any executive, management or playing squad member is Friday, November 11”.
“After numerous failed attempts, which include but are not limited to phone calls, texts messages, calls to relatives, partner and close friends as well as four house visits to his known place of residence, the company took the decision to open a missing person case with police on Thursday 17 November 2022,” the statement said.
“This resulted from the grave worry and concern of everyone at Loftus as well as the need for the expert assistance of the South African Police Services.
“We appreciate both the public and media interest in the matter, as we all share the same concerns about the player’s safety,” they added.