Sidelined Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies, who was sent home from Argentina in September following allegations of an affair and unpaid hotel bills, has marginally addressed the issues in a recently released podcast.

Jantjies had not publicly spoken about these incidents, but “broke his silence” this week, although the content of his comments left more questions than answers.

Speaking to RugbyPass Offload podcast this week, Jantjies was evasive in his depiction of events that led to Rapport newspaper breaking a story about an alleged affair with a member of Springbok management, unpaid hotel bills and late-night arguments.

Springbok dietician Zeenat Simjee, who has been implicated in the story, has denied she had an affair with Jantjies.

Dietician Zeenat Simjee during the South African national men’s rugby team photo session at Southern Sun Pretoria on 21 June, 2022 in Pretoria. (Photo: Waldo Swiegers / Gallo Images)

World Rugby recently acquired the RugbyPass website and contents, which adds to the speculation that it was a carefully picked outlet for Jantjies to tell his version of events.

He had the platform, but the 2019 World Cup winner danced around any direct answers.

“The way it looks, it looks like that and it is obvious what people are going to say. It is an obvious thing to say, ‘Elton is out, she is in’, things like that but believe me, it’s nothing like that,” Jantjies said about the fact that Simjee is currently with the Springbok team while he was left out of the touring squad.

“Me and Rassie [Erasmus] had a chat and we will stick to the plan for me to switch off and then get back to club rugby and then get into the Springboks squad again.”

There has been speculation recently that Jantjies’ next move will be to Toulon in France, which he all but confirmed in the podcast.

“I’ve got two more weeks left then I’m heading off to France then get back into it, get onto the park. Being ready for June — the next Test,” he said.

“For me, it’s just to get back after my break, get back to rugby and just finding the form that I’ve always had and hopefully put me in a position to be selected but we have a plan, we keep in touch every single week [with the coaches].”

Struggles

Jantjies also opened up about his reason for staying in a rehabilitation centre in Cape Town for two weeks. According to him, it was to treat his insomnia, among other reasons.

“I was in a facility in Cape Town just for like two weeks. I had a chat with Rassie and he told me he has got a spot where I can just switch off mentally and then afterwards I can get a break with my family.

“My main thing was just to switch off from a psychological point of view, especially with all the media going on. And all the speculation, they keep on speculating until they probably want me to speak up but I don’t get involved in media stuff.

“Me and my wife have been speaking about it quite a lot, she says you don’t switch off, you struggle sleeping because you are always with rugby,” he said.

“You watch games the whole time, you are training the whole time so when are you actually going to switch off? You take a sleeping tablet to sleep at night when there are games on.

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“As a flyhalf, I believe playing Test rugby I need to be sleeping perfectly… It was a long stretch and I struggled to sleep, and I went there and they treated me for insomnia for two weeks. I was off sleeping tablets and I am still off sleeping tablets so it was quite good. But yeah, that’s not the main reason.

Elton Jantjies of the Springboks kicks during the 1st Castle Lager Incoming Series Test match between South Africa and Wales at Loftus Versfeld on July, 2022 in Pretoria. (Photo: Gordon Arons / Gallo Images)

“The main reason was just to switch off from a public point of view because I have been followed by people, I have had media, journalists follow me, I have had private investigators follow me, I have a lot of things on my plate and it was quite scary for my wife.”

Omission 

On the podcast Jantjies also briefly touched on why he is not touring with the Springboks in Europe at the moment, claiming it is not because of his alleged relationship with Simjee, but he did not elaborate much further.

“I think this break came at the time that the whole media thing was on, so obviously it looks a bit different. It looks like I am out of the Springboks because of certain reasons but it’s not like that,” he said.

“I haven’t seen my family this whole year, so me and Rassie had a chat and I agreed with him and so I have taken time off to spend with my family. It has been tough, but I had to do it instead of going on tour because the following year is going to be a hectic year.”

Jantjies alleges that all the recent publicity he has received does not affect him as much but it does affect those around him.

“I’m not a guy that reads media posts. I truly respect what they put out there and what they say. I haven’t said a word so that’s all what they speculate. It doesn’t come from my mouth so I’m just having fun, I’m just having a laugh.

“I think it’s challenging when it comes to my family. When it comes to my mom, my brother, sponsorships, my friends. They’re the ones that normally look at things like that and I could see it touched them a little bit when they speak to me. It’s constant, this media opinion. I just tell them don’t get involved.

“For me personally, it is just to focus on my family, I have got a break and this is the reason why I am here, and then afterwards I will probably get back to rugby and that is the main two things I will stick with.”

Springboks and Rassie

Even though Jantjies was seemingly dropped from the Springboks side immediately after the revelations of unpaid hotel bills in Mbombela, he says the Springbok management have supported him throughout.

“We always had discussions. Actually, before they [the media] tried to publish something I got a phone call [from the Springboks] so I don’t think I was let down with anything.”

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus during the South Africa men’s national rugby media conference at Grand Hotel des Sablettes Plage on 11 November, 2022 in Toulon, France. (Photo: Clement Mahoudeau / Gallo Images)

Jantjies also shared his opinion on Erasmas’ recent social media posts criticising referees in cryptic Tweets.

“It’s the Springboks. We’re old school but we’re also new school. We kind of accepted the fact that we have social media. We engage with people on different platforms,” he said.

“It’s always the referees. It’s a good gesture to keep the people involved. It’s all factual stuff so I don’t disagree with that. I don’t want to get involved with those things because it’s a hot topic at the moment.

“I believe coach [Rassie Erasmus] is doing it for South Africa. He doesn’t have a personal agenda, that’s the important thing.”

Jantjies maintains that his relationship with Erasmus is strong despite his recent axing.

“He’s fun on the field and he’s fun off the field as well. There’s a line that you as a player or management staff don’t want to cross but we’re like a family. He’s a family [oriented] type of guy. I think we’ll do anything for him.

“He enjoys a beer with us but when it’s time to work we work hard as well.” DM