Bulls winger Kurt-Lee Arendse was knocked out by the ball during last weekend’s Currie Cup match against the Cheetahs in Pretoria.
The South African speedster attempted to charge down a clearance kick from Cheetahs full back Cohen Jasper but was struck directly in the head by the ball.
Arendse went limp in the air and landed hard on the ground where he lay almost motionless as the team physio ran on to give him some treatment in just the third minute of the match.
A few moments later while Arendse was receiving treatment referee AJ Jacob was overheard saying “he was out cold” on the ref mic and the 25-year-old was stretchered off the pitch at Loftus Versfeld.
The winger was replaced by former Stade Français and Springboks utility back Ruan Combrick who helped the side sneak a tight 39-36 win. This win secured the Bulls’ spot at the top of the Currie Cup standings after 12 rounds to set up a home semi-final against Western Province.
Full match highlights are available below:
While this incident ended badly for Arendse, there are plenty of other hilarious examples of when players have been struck in the face by the ball and here are some of the very best examples:
Arendse broke into the South African sevens set up in 2019 making his debut at the Vancouver tournament which they won. However given the lack of sevens action during the pandemic he joined the Bulls in 2020 and was making good progress before suffering this unfortunate injury last weekend.
The other semi-final of this year’s Currie Cup will take place on Saturday between the Natal Sharks and Griquas at Kings Park Stadium before taking on the final. The Bulls currently hold the title after beating the Sharks 26-19 after extra time in Pretoria at the end of January this year.
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