HOUSTON – Pedrie Wannenburg, a former South African rugby standout, died Friday afternoon in a major car crash involving a teen driver fleeing from Harris County Sheriff’s deputies. He was 41.
Sheriff Gonzalez said the teen suspect, who is 16, fled from deputies after a traffic stop. After a short pursuit, he crashed into two vehicles, including the vehicle Wannenburg was driving in with his 8-year-old son.
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Both were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital at Texas Medical Center via Life Flight. Wannenburg was later pronounced dead and his son remains in critical condition.
He coached at Rice University and players were shocked when they heard the news. Senior Rugby player Jacob Koelsch says Coach Pedrie will be missed and made a huge impact on platers and teams.
“He coached the most successful season we’ve had in probably several decades. He was there for almost every practice, all the games. Being around him, he’s one of those guys that has a presence about him,” Koelsch said.
Jacob says he has always admired Wannenburg and the Rugby league wont be the same without him.
“He played with the South African National team, he played in Ireland, France, USA. He’s coached all these places as well. I actually heard about him when I was a young player just through his playing. He had a record of 99 consecutive games played over four seasons which in a sport as brutal as Rugby in the position he plays is really really impressive,” Jacob said.
The Houston Sabercats honored Wannenburg life and held a moment of silence at Saturday night’s game. His family, friends and fans are now mourning the tragic and senseless loss.
“He was always very humble. A very large imposing guy, but very mild mannered and a lot of fun. Super easy to get a long with,” Koelsch said.
Who is Pedrie Wannenburg?
Wannenburg made his debut for the South African rugby team Springboks when they played against France in 2002, the Associated Press reported. He has won several Super Rugby titles with the Pretoria-based Bulls in the 2000s.
In a release from Mark Alexander, president of South Africa Rugby, Wannenburg was a member of the Vodacom Bulls team in South Africa and the Carling Currie Cup, winning several titles in the Vodacom Super Rugby throughout the 2000s. He also became the first player to reach 100 caps, or the number of official games played.
“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 colors of the Bulls, during a period where they dominated on all levels, is nearly unmatched,” Alexander said in a statement on the team’s website.
Wannenburg went on to play for clubs in Ireland, France, and eventually in the U.S playing for teams in Colorado and Texas. He retired from coaching in 2018, according to AP.
JT Onyett, President of Houston Sabercats told KPRC 2 he coached Rugby at Rice University and helped coach the Sabercats’ academy team, Rugby HTX.
🇿🇦 Former Springbok loose forward Pedrie Wannenburg sadly passed away in the USA this morning
— Springboks (@Springboks) April 23, 2022
🗣️ “Pedrie gave all he had on the pitch, but afterwards always had a smile on his face" - Mr Mark Alexander
🔗 More here: https://t.co/YFGOdswyb3 pic.twitter.com/mjHeWQQqOi
Worldwide tribute
Several rugby teams worldwide will pay tribute to Wannenburg as news of his death spreads throughout.
The Vodacom Bulls, where Wannenburg was a part of during his career in South Africa, announced on Saturday that a moment of silence will be held in honor of their former star player. The moment of silence will take place before the start of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship match game, according to the team’s website.
Locally, the Houston Sabrecats will host a moment of silence before their matchup against the Toronto Arrows at 7 p.m. The game is scheduled to take place at AVEVA Stadium.