Update: Elton Jantjies off the hook

NEWS: The case against World Cup-winning South Africa flyhalf Elton Jantjies was provisionally withdrawn.

The Kempton Park magistrate’s court heard on Friday this was on the instruction of the senior state prosecutor, without reasons being publicly divulged.

The 31-year-old Springbok was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on May 15.

He was charged with malicious damage to property of an airline he had flown with from Dubai to Johannesburg.

He had been released on R1 000 ($62/60 euros) bail.

His lawyer Nabeela Moola told AFP that charges had been provisionally withdrawn "based on the representations made to the state."

Prosecutors did not comment.

Jantjies made his professional debut in 2011 with the Johannesburg-based Lions and was loaned to French Top 14 club Pau in 2021 before joining Japanese outfit NTT Red Hurricanes this year.

Jantjies, capped 44 times by the Boks, was a member of the victorious Bok squads at the 2019 World Cup and against the 2021 British and Irish Lions.

He also attended the Springbok alignment camp in Durban in April.

Jantjies made his debut against Australia at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, in 2012 and featured as a replacement against England at Twickenham, London, in November last year.