Former Springbok turned television analyst Ashwin Willemse has walked out of a live broadcast after serving up a verbal spray to two of his co-hosts.
Willemse, who made 19 appearances for the Springboks between 2003 and 2007, walked off the SuperSport set following the Lions' 42-23 win over the Brumbies this morning while accusing Nick Mallet and Naas Botha of being patronising.
The winger started his rant by saying he endured being called a "quota player" during his entire career before laying into the pair.
"I’ve been in the game for a long time like most of us here. As a player, I’ve been called a quota for a long time and I’ve worked very hard to earn the respect I have now.
"I’m not going to sit here and be patronised by these two individuals (Mallet and Botha) who played their rugby during the apartheid era, a segregated era.”
Botha is a former Springbok flyhalf who represented the national team 28 times between 1980 and 1992.
Mallett, who coached the Springboks between 1997 and 2000, played two tests for the Boks in 1984.
It is unclear what prompted Willemse's dpearture, but SuperSport confirmed they were investigating the matter.
In 2003, Willemse was named SA Rugby Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and the Players’ Player of the Year at the end of that season - despite only turning 22 a few months earlier.
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