Former Springbok loose forward Pedrie Wannenburg has been killed in a car accident in Texas, his former South African franchise the Bulls said on Saturday.
Wannenburg, 41, played 20 times for the Boks and was close to being selected for the World Cup-winning squad in France in 2007.
He also turned out for Irish side Ulster and French club Castres before settling in the United States in 2016.
He died when a 16-year-old driver led police on a high-speed chase and crashed into the back of Wannenburg’s car at an intersection, according to local media.
His wife and two children were in the vehicle with him but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
The flanker was the first to play 100 matches for the Bulls in Super Rugby and won three titles with the Pretoria-based side in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
“Pedrie will be remembered as one of the first real versatile loose forwards who could play in any position in the back row and even though he played in only 20 Tests, his record in the colours of the Bulls, during a period where they dominated on all levels, is nearly unmatched,” SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said in a statement.
“After he finished his career in South Africa, he went on to make a big impact playing club rugby in Ireland, France and later the USA, and he started giving back to the game in a coaching capacity after he retired a few years ago.
“Pedrie was a fun-loving and hard-working man and someone who gave all he had on the pitch, but afterwards always had a smile on his face. He represented his country with aplomb – who will ever forget the try he scored in the narrow victory over the All Blacks in Rustenburg in 2006?
“To lose someone at the cusp of the rest of his life with a young family, after a long and storied rugby career is extremely sad and our thoughts are with his wife, Evette, their two children, Isabelle and Francois, as well as his parents and other family members, loved ones and friends during this very difficult time.”