Springboks coach made to wait in comment row

SOUTH Africa coach Peter de Villiers will learn his fate next week after judgment was reserved in his SANZAR misconduct hearing yesterday.

SANZAR judicial officer Jannie Lubbe heard the case, which relates to comments made by De Villiers on Australia's Fox Sports Rugby Club programme on 21 July, at the offices of the South African Rugby Union.

De Villiers suggested that New Zealand were being given preferential treatment by referees because that country is hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The coach, whose first language is Afrikaans but who insists on addressing the media in English, later said he had been misinterpreted.

"We do have a World Cup in New Zealand next year and maybe it was the right thing for them to win the games so they can attract more people to the games next year," De Villiers said on the programme. The coach later issued this statement: "In no manner did I ever suggest that the All Blacks were being favoured - by match officials or anyone else."