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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Dylan James

Springbok sent off after brandishing joke red card to World Cup final referee

There are red card offences.... and then there are red card offences.

This one, it has to be said, is up there with one of the most bizarre occurrences in rugby history.

A player jokingly shows the referee a red card of his own while a team-mate is being ticked off. Unfortunately for said player the official doesn't see the funny side - and promptly sends him off for real.

READ MORE: Rugby 'own goal' becomes most watched video as things go very wrong

The incident took place in 1998 in a match between the Golden Lions and Griquas and is widely referred to as one of the most bizarre red cards given. The clip has now been given a new lease through TikTok. It was posted to Ball Carrier's TikTok account on Wednesday, and has so far pulled in over 60,000 views.

The player in question is former Springbok prop Balie Swart, whilst the referee is Andre Watson, who is the only official to referee two World Cup Finals.

Watson is conferring with a Lions player, when team-mate Swart intervenes in comical style holding up a red card up to the referee. Watson doesn't take kindly to this.

Indeed, visibly aggravated by the act, Watson points at Swart, shows him the red and gives him his marching orders!

Swart is completely befuddled by the whole incident and unclips his headgear in disbelief as he exits the field. It is hard not to see the funny side of it!

Swart played over 100 games for the Golden Lions and earned 16 caps for South Africa, but this unreal moment will always be etched into his rugby memory.

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