A family tragedy that affects the world of rugby.
Pillar Jannie du Plessis, a former player for Montpellier and the South African national team, lost her one-year-old baby on Tuesday in the swimming pool at the family home in Krugersdorp, near Johannesburg, in his country original.
The death on the player's 39th birthday and revealed on Wednesday by local media, The Citizen, has moved many sports personalities.
His former Hérault team, with whom he played from 2015 to 2019 and even played in the Top 14 final in 2018 against Castres, posted a message of condolence on Twitter.
"The whole of the MHR joins the sorrow of Jannie du Plessis and all his family", wrote the club of Montpellier on this social network.
🖤 The whole @MHR_officiel joins the sorrow of Jannie du Plessis and all her family.
pic.twitter.com/Q91ayoD8yM
- Montpellier Rugby (@MHR_officiel) November 17, 2021
Thursday morning, his former Natal Sharks teammate, the former French opening half Frédéric Michalak said he was "devastated by this terrible news for my brother in arms Jannie".
“Our thoughts and our prayers,” added the former Toulouse player.
The All Blacks, historic rivals of the South Africans, also sent a message of condolence on Twitter, explaining "to send our love and our thoughts to Jannie du Plessis and her family at this difficult time".
The All Blacks whānau send our love & thoughts to Jannie du Plessis and his family at this difficult time 🖤 pic.twitter.com/9tyUqxNsVM
- All Blacks (@AllBlacks) November 17, 2021
The Springboks, with whom the mainstay was world champion in 2007, also reacted through the experienced Duane Vermeulen on Wednesday afternoon.
"We woke up this morning with this very sad information and we think of this family," said the South African third line.
It is a difficult time, and we support them.
I can't imagine what Jannie and her family have to go through.
I can't even have the beginnings of understanding what it feels like after such a loss.
"
"We send them all our condolences," explained the player whose selection challenges England on Saturday.
We understand that this is an extremely difficult time.
His former frontline partner, Tendai Mtawarira, said he was "heartbroken".
