Super Rugby is now in full swing, the South African teams pretty much holding their own thus far. No, not you Kings, you just turn up every week and take the beating coming your way.

One player who seems to have enjoyed this past long weekend a little too much is Sharks hooker Kyle Cooper, arrested after an incident in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He appeared in court yesterday and was released on bail of R500, his next appearance due for this Friday. IOL reports:

The charges – one of common assault and the other assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm – relate to two incidents at the Wagon Wheel Saloon in Lighthouse Road on the Bluff.

He is accused of punching 19-year-old Camilla Johannessen after a verbal altercation.

Eyewitnesses said a bouncer had to intervene and pull him away.

The young woman informed her 42-year-old father, Donald, of what had happened and he confronted Cooper in the car park where, it is alleged, Cooper’s friends held him down while Cooper hit him.

Both family members laid complaints at the local police station and visited a doctor for forensic examinations detailing their injuries.

In an interview with The Mercury, wife and mother Cindy Johannessen said her husband had injuries to his ribs and face while her daughter had a cut inside her mouth. She said the family was consulting a lawyer “because we want to take this further”.

“He must pay for the costs involved,” she said.

Cooper came off the bench during Saturday’s loss to the Crusaders, and depending on the outcome of the case may face further sanctions from his union:

Novashni Chetty, PR Manager of the Sharks said: “We are aware of the incident surrounding one of our players over the weekend. It is difficult to pass comment on an incident we know little about, knowing also that there are always two sides to a story, which is why we trust the judicial system to run its course and action will be taken, if needed, on the eventual outcome.”

If he has indeed clouted a woman and her father then he should face serious repercussions – we expect better from our sportsmen and, to be fair, men in general.

[source:iol]

[simagesources:sportslogos&rugby365]