A South African who leaked pictures of an embarrassing rugby boot camp following the Springboks' poor performance in the 2003 World Cup has committed suicide, local media reported today.
Dale McDermott, 35, who was sacked as the Springboks' video analyst for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia after releasing the
pictures, was found with a gunshot wound to the head at his home in the eastern port city of Durban.
The Johannesburg-based The Star newspaper quoted police spokesman Michael Read as saying a suicide note was found on the scene and no crime was suspected.
McDermott released video pictures of the infamous "Staaldraad" (Afrikaans for Steelwire) training camp after the 2003 World Cup in which South Africa were thrashed 29-9 by New Zealand in the quarterfinals.
Images showed players being forced naked into a freezing lake to pump up rugby balls and to crawl naked through mud as part of their training.
The pictures were published worldwide and caused a public outcry for a shake-up of rugby top officials.
Several heads rolled as a consequence - including that of coach Rudolf Straeuli, SA Rugby managing director Rian Oberholzer and South African Rugby Football Union president Silas Nkanunu.
Former Springbok player Hennie le Roux expressed shock at McDermott's death.
"It is really sad. It has hit me like a cold fish. To think he felt that what he had done was so bad, to make him resort to what he did."
