Swine flu hits rugby players

Four under-21 Lions players have been diagnosed with swine flu, causing organisers to cancel a game against Boland, Beeld newspaper reported on Friday.

The match against Boland would have taken place in Wellington on Friday in the national under-21 tournament. But players Elton Jantjies, Jaco Kriel, Ashley Kohler and Chuma Faas have been diagnosed with swine flu.

Another 22 players in the Lions under-19 and under-21 groups are also sick.

"It is too early to say how many have swine flu," said coach Timmy Goodwin.

Meanwhile, an annual sports day between Grey College and Pretoria Boys' High that would have taken place in Pretoria this weekend, has been called off.

Six FS players also have flu
More than 250 Grey pupils were absent from school on Thursday. "There are several learners with flu symptoms or a cold. We do not want all these pupils to travel together on a train to Pretoria and have them infecting one another," said Grey principal Johan Volsteedt.

In the Currie Cup, Cheetahs players Louis Strydom and Naka Drotske were also ill.

Six players in the Free State's under-19 team have been pulled out of a game against the Griffons in Bloemfontein on Friday because they were suffering from flu.

Beeld reported that several schools in Pretoria North have confirmed cases of swine flu -- four pupils at Hoërskool Wonderboom, one pupil at Hoërskool Montana and 12 students at the University of Pretoria have all contracted the H1N1 virus. – (Sapa, August 2009)

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