[news] Ex-Box Frans Erasmus dead in car accident

[F.F. Jacot Guillarmod]

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Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 17:52:38 GMT+0200
Subject: [ECN] bok erasmus dies in car 100m from where his wife died

BOK ERASMUS DIES IN CAR 100M FROM WHERE HIS WIFE DIED LAST MONTH

GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN Sunday Service 8 March 1998) - In a bizarre and
tragic coincidence, former Springbok rugby prop Frans Erasmus was
killed in a car smash last night barely 100m from where his wife
Marieta died in a car a month ago.
Grahamstown police inspector Deon Bakkes said that Erasmus died
at 8.40pm on the road to the Boknes farming area 6km outside
Grahamstown.
Bakkes said Erasmus's car left the road and hit a tree killing him
instantly. He was alone.
Dispatch councillor and close friend Frans Swanepoel said
Erasmus crashed just 100m from where his wife died.
Swanepoel said Erasmus was a "big man. He had a big heart and
would always help someone when he could."
"We in Dispatch will all miss him very much."
Erasmus, who was coaching Rhodes University's first team, was
also a former EP and Dispatch front ranker.
He leaves three young daughters. - ECN
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Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 18:53:22 GMT+0200
Subject: [ECN] erasmus had been cheerful and chatty before car death

ERASMUS HAD BEEN CHEERFUL AND CHATTY BEFORE BIZARRE CAR DEATH

Nick Wilson

GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN Sunday Service 8 March 1998) - "See you at
practise on Monday," Rhodes University first team rugby coach and
former Springbok prop forward Frans Erasmus said cheerfully and
drove off.
Minutes later -- at 8.40 pm on Saturday Erasmus was killed in a
car smash barely 100m from where his wife Marieta died in a
car a month ago. He was killed instantly, police said today.
Rhodes Football Club President Ernest Rothman said Erasmus had
been in a good mood at an after-match function on Saturday night. He
stressed that Erasmus had not been drunk.
He said: "I did not see him with a beercan in his hand."
Rhodes had beaten Albany 29-3.
Erasmus died on the way to see his three daughters and to have a
braai with friends at their Boknes home.
Rothman said Rhodes had done very well under Erasmus who picked
the side up from coming bottom of the Premier League in 1996 to
scoring a 60 percent win rate last year.
He said Erasmus was very popular with Rhodes players who took to
him "like a duck to water".
"He was a great guy. It's a massive blow for Rhodes. Who is
going to coach us now?"
Rhodes first team captain Graham Carlson said Erasmus was at
practise "religiously at 5pm every day".
He said: "He was chatting to the guys (at the function) and
talking about the good points and what went on."
The club would be holding a memorial service for him soon. - ECN
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