Former Springbok rugby captain Jean de Villiers has been praised for swiftly catching a shoplifter who had stolen goods from a butchery in Paarl.
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Images of the incident, which took place at the Boer & Butcher shop on 23 January, are currently circulating on social media and have seen the rugby icon hailed for his heroic actions.
According to Netwerk24, De Villiers, who led the national team on 37 occasions, grew suspicious of a man who was seemingly slipping sweets into his pockets before walking out of the shop.
Speaking to the media, store owner Edu Hanekom said that De Villiers and his wife, Marlie, who are both regular customers, were at the checkout when they first spotted the man acting suspiciously.
Talk about being chased by a former Springbok! Jean de Villiers chasing an alleged thief at a store in Paarl! How I wish to get my hands on that footage! pic.twitter.com/JrUJXfVPsY
— thevillageguy (@thevillageguy1) February 7, 2023
Surveillance footage shows the 41-year-old running after the suspect, before returning and handing him over to security.
In a voice note to his wife, De Villiers described how he “watched him the whole time without him seeing that I was watching him”.
“And when I looked again, he just slowly started walking out. And when he walked out, I also slowly walked behind him,” he told his spouse, according to Netwerk24.
“When I said ‘hey’ he looked around and started running. Then I just said to myself, but I must also run now. And then I ran out of my sandals and glasses and finally across the road.”
Meanwhile, the store owner was full of praise for the quick thinking of De Villiers, who managed to apprehend the perpetrator before bringing him back to the shop.
“We are very grateful for Jean’s actions. It was quite a thing when a former Springbok rugby captain arrived with the thief,” Hanekom said.
With over 100 caps for his country, the retired centre is one of South Africa’s best-known former Springboks and was renowned for his ability to read the game, often scoring incredible intercept tries.
He was also one of the most loyal servants of Western Province and Stormers rugby, featuring in over 100 games for the Cape franchise.
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Picture: @thevillageguy / Twitter