Former South African rugby star Lukas van Biljon was stabbed repeatedly in the chest and his father shot three times and left for dead when six men attacked their farm at midnight.
Springbok hooker Van Biljon, 47, was warned if he fought back his children, who were tied up, would be killed as the gang ransacked the farm at Oranjeville, Free State Province. The controversial player - who was dropped from the Boks after 13 caps in 2003 after yet another nightclub brawl – was stabbed several times as a "strong warning to behave”.
Dad Andre, 70, had tried to make a desperate call to fellow farmers for help on a radio but was spotted and was shot three times in the chest and hand and is critical in hospital.
South African Police spokesman Captain Loraine Earle said two of the attackers were arrested after local farmers were alerted and put into place an action plan to block all roads.
She said: ”Just after midnight on Saturday the police were called to a robbery at a smallholding at Oranjeville belonging to the Van Biljon family where two men were injured.
“It is alleged six armed men entered the house and tied the children with cable ties and a 47-year-old man was stabbed and his 70-year-old father shot during the robbery."
A farmer who knows the Van Biljon family well said: "Lukas is a big strong boy but he could do nothing as it was made clear his children would be shot if he put up a fight.
"He was still stabbed several times but it is father Andre who is the worry as he is in intensive care in a very bad way from gunshots."
The two arrested suspects are due at the Heilbron Magistrate’s Court today (Monday) on charges of house robbery and attempted murder while the other four are still being hunted.
The former Sharks hooker played 13 times for the Boks between 2001 and 2003 with his first game vs Italy and his last vs New Zealand.
