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Former Bok legend Duane Vermeulen has had to hit the brakes on his family business, De SluisHuis, after it was left looking a bit worse for wear, thanks to some light-fingered characters.

The man himself – who finally called it a day on the rugby field after the 2023 Rugby World Cup – co-owns the spot with his wife and business partners, probably hoping for less tackling and more braaivleis vibes in retirement.

In a heartfelt (read: frustrated) Instagram post, Duane shared that a few tsotsis decided to “pay a visit” to De SluisHuis, his pride and joy, which opened late last year as his first major post-rugby venture.

Situated in the quaint town of Deneysville in the Free State, the family-friendly establishment has been a bit of a passion project for him and his wife, per The South African.

 

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A post shared by De SluisHuis (@de_sluishuis)

Although Duane and his wife Ezel are Cape Town locals, they keep the place ticking over with a bit of help from the family. Now they just have to deal with the latest “visitors” who clearly didn’t come for the koeksisters.

“It is with great regret we have to share the sad news that De SluisHuis Padstal fell victim to a massive burglary incident that left our little gem with extensive damages.

“This has forced us to close temporarily to do repairs to get us back up and running.”

The good news is that Duane and his family vowed to repair the damage and open the business as fast as they could – a boer maak n ‘plan, afterall.

 

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A post shared by De SluisHuis (@de_sluishuis)

Besides his little side hustle, the former Bok has taken up coaching. With 76 caps to his name, he was revealed as an assistant coach to the Springboks.

“Having played with most of the guys before, one tends to know them really well, which makes moving into such a role smoother. However, working with the coaches has been fantastic. It’s good fun, and I’m learning a lot because now I get to see the other side of things.”

“I understand the players and their mindset. As a former player I know what it’s like to constantly try to improve your game, so it’s nice to be the voice between the players and coaches, and more so since some players don’t know how to approach a coach.”

Now he’s just gotta channel some of that energy into getting De SluisHuis back up and running.

[source:southafrican]