Hendrik Cronjé

Bloemfontein – The rugby spectator that threw Coke into the face of referee Willie Roos has expressed deep regret about the incident.

Mr X (he asked not to be identified) said: “I would like to personally apologise to Willie. I deeply regret the incident.”

He said he was not under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred. He had attended the game with members of his family as a staunch Griquas and Free State supporter.

He said it was not brandy and Coke that he had aimed at Roos. “It was only Coke. It was also only by chance that I walked past Willie on my way to a suite,” he said.

Mr X said that it was important that rugby should not suffer because of the incident. It apparently occurred because of frustration at Roos’s refusal to answer a question.

He wanted to know why Roos had not allowed a lineout in the dying stages of Griquas’ 24-25 defeat to the Blue Bulls. Two Griquas players had been sin-binned.

Roos allegedly refused to answer and said he did not owe anyone an explanation.

Mr X said that he is a passionate rugby supporter, but not fanatical about the game.

“I am actually a calm person, but also someone that sometimes acts on impulse. I am a rugby person. I also coached at schools and tertiary level,” he said.

One of his difficult tasks was to explain to his wife in Gauteng this week that it was him who had thrown Coke at Roos. She was not impressed.

He will appear in front of a disciplinary committee of the Griqualand West Rugby Union on Monday.