Rassie Erasmus has dedicated the Springboks' upcoming Test against Wales in Durban to Luqobo Makwedini and Jayden Adams, two young South African sportsmen who died over the weekend in separate tragedies.
Makwedini, a 20-year-old prop who represented South Africa at U18 level and was known as "Bibo", collapsed during a training session with French club AS Béziers Hérault on Friday and later died in hospital. Adams, the 25-year-old Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, was found dead on Saturday at a property in Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town. The circumstances of his death have not yet been confirmed.
Speaking at the team announcement for the Wales Test, Erasmus said: "Seeing one of your ex-players, anybody in South Africa going through tough times is terrible. If somebody passed away at a young age, especially the one boy, the guy that cheered us on and the other one is a soccer player — I obviously didn't know them personally, but them doing what they did and trying to do for our country what they do and then to lose them like that, condolences to their families."
"We'll pray for them, we'll play for them. Just all our love to their families and their loved ones."
The losses came in the wake of the Springboks' 42-28 Nations Championship victory over Scotland at Loftus Versfeld, which secured the team's second consecutive Nations Championship title.