Head coach Pote Human, of the Houston SaberCats, is restrained by his players during the match against Rugby New York at Memorial Field on April 23, 2023 in Mount Vernon, New York. Photo by Dustin Satloff / Getty Images / AFP
Former Bulls coach set for lengthy ban after on-field fight [update]
Ex-Bulls coach Pote Human is expected to face a lengthy ban, with Major League Rugby ‘investigating’ the slap incident he was involved in.
Head coach Pote Human, of the Houston SaberCats, is restrained by his players during the match against Rugby New York at Memorial Field on April 23, 2023 in Mount Vernon, New York. Photo by Dustin Satloff / Getty Images / AFP
Pote Human, who is now working in the United States, sparked an on-field brawl after slapping an opposition coach in a shocking incident that made headline across the globe.
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An extraordinary video clip had emerged from a Major League Rugby clash, where Human can be seen charging onto the field and getting into a fight with an opposition coach.
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In a statement issued late on Monday, Major League Rugby said an investigation will determine the necessary disciplinary steps to be taken, but the general consensus is that Human is set for an extensive ban.
“The league office is investigating an incident that took place on the sideline during the match between New York and Houston on April 23rd, 2023. Upon completion of the investigation, the league will take any necessary action in line with our competition and behavior regulations,” the statement read.
You can watch the video clip of Human below:
Human, who coaches the Houston Sabercats, was apparently incensed by the New York high-performance coach’s berating of Houston’s players during a water break.
The former Blue Bulls coach stormed onto the field before slapping the opposition coach, who responded by throwing a punch of his own as a brawl broke out, eventually leading to both being ejected from the game.
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The 63-year-old is an experienced coach
Human coached extensively in South Africa for the better part of two decades before joining Heyneke Meyer at American Major League outfit Houston SaberCats in 2021.
Among other jobs, Human had a previous stint at the Blue Bulls (2005-2008) and coached the Griffons (1996-1997) and Griquas (2012-2013), while there was also a tenure in Japan as forwards coach of the Ricoh Black Rams between 2008-2010.
Most notably, though, he was the Bulls’ head coach in 2019-2020 and had been involved in the Pretoria union’s structures since 2013 where he also coached Tuks and the Blue Bulls’ under-21 team.
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However, in 2021 it was confirmed that he’d be heading overseas to work in the US with former Bok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“Heyneke gave me a chance in 2005 to get involved in coaching full-time at the Bulls when I was still working for (sales co-operative) Samba. I owe him a lot and still believe he is one of the best coaches in the world. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, even though the USA is far from home,” Human told Rapport newspaper when he made the move.
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