Cape Town - Former Springbok and Bulls loose forward Pedrie Wannenburg has died following a car accident in the United States on Friday.
He was 41-years-old at the time of his death in Harris County, Houston in the state of Texas, where he was a rugby coach for Austin Elite in the North American Major League Rugby competition.
Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Willem Strauss sent a WhatsApp broadcast message early on Saturday morning, which stated: "RIP Pedrie Wannenburg," along with a photo of the player in action for the Bulls.
US website Khou.com reported that Wannenburg's wife Evette and their daughter were unhurt, but that their son was undergoing surgery after being flown to hospital.
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Former Golden Lions coach Eugene Eloff posted on Facebook: "I am shattered.. have no words. Just heard that my friend Pedrie Wannenburg passed away in a car accident. His family was in the car with him.
"Devastating news RIP wonderful man..
“You will be missed so much. My heart goes out to Evett and the kids. Keeping you in my heart and prayers.”
The Khou.com website reported that Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that there was a high-speed chase of a vehicle, where a suspected teenaged driver had refused to pull over for police.
"The chase started at about 5.45pm at Greenhouse Road and West Little York. Investigators said a deputy attempted to pull the teenagers over, for reasons unknown, but the driver sped off and led the deputy on a chase that reached speeds over 100mph," the website reported.
"The chase ended near the intersection of Greenhouse Road and Kieth Harrow Boulevard. Deputies said the suspect crashed into the back of the father's vehicle (Wannenburg) and went airborne. The suspect's vehicle then crashed into a second vehicle with multiple people inside.”
Wannenburg retired from playing in 2018 after an illustrious career with the Bulls in particular, where he won multiple Super Rugby and Currie Cup titles between 2001 and 2010.
He played in 20 Test matches for the Springboks between 2002 and 2007, and began coaching at Austin Elite in 2019 after finishing his playing career there too.