The Cape Town club rugby community was left in shock on Saturday when 42-year-old Naasif Abrahams, a player from Vineyards Rugby Club, collapsed and died during a Super League B game against Hamlets in Mamre.
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A player/coach for the third side, Abrahams spent most of the match on the bench with no intention of playing but decided to join in for the closing stages.
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After only a few minutes on the field, Abrahams took the ball into what appeared to be a routine tackle but collapsed after getting back up. The exact cause of death is unknown, though those at the ground suspect a heart attack, as there was no sign of head impact. Abrahams was stretchered off the field but died shortly afterward.
Abrahams had been a member of Vineyards since his junior rugby days, playing as a first-team fly half in his late teens and early 20s before transitioning to no 8 in recent years.
His cousin, Shukri Moerat – also the cousin of Springbok Salmaan Moerat – was with Abrahams during his final moments. Moerat expressed the club’s devastation.
‘He was tackled around the legs and then there was a ruck. He stood up, collapsed, and it was fairly instant from there,’ Moerat, the club treasurer at Vineyards, said on Sunday.
‘We still hoped while he was lying next to the field, but if I was honest with myself while sitting next to him, I didn’t want to face it, but I think it happened quite quickly.’
Moerat explained that Abrahams wasn’t planning to play but joined in for fun during the last few minutes.
‘It was also strange that he grabbed the No. 10 jersey, which is miles too small for him. All our other reserve jerseys on the field were his size, but for some reason, he took the No. 10 jersey, which couldn’t even go over him properly and ran onto the field. I took a video of him running onto the field with the No. 10 on and all of us laughing. It’s just a freak accident. When it’s your time, it’s your time.’
Abrahams was unmarried, had no children, and was a popular member of the club rugby fraternity. His funeral took place in Paarl on Sunday.
‘His funeral was one of the biggest I have seen in Paarl. He meant so much to the club,’ said Moerat.
‘He was a father figure, a brother, a coach, a manager, a teammate, a friend. He served the community in every way he could.’
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‘He’s just one of those guys. He’s the voice of reason in the community and the club. When things happen, you phone him for advice. He was the nicest guy and nobody disliked him. He was loved by everyone: rugby or no rugby, Muslim or Christian. He’s just one of those guys and we can’t believe it happened to him out of all people.’
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Picture: Vineyards Rugby / Facebook
