SuperSport has dumped Derick Hougaard as rugby commentator with the former rugby player that is no longer being used or seen on Kobus Wiese's Afrikaans SuperRugby show on kykNET (DStv 144) on Monday nights.
Derick Hougaard said that he was called in and told that social media comments that he had made on Twitter regarding transformation and quotas for the Springbok rugby team angered the government and that SuperSport had to put put fires after a government complaint.
Derick Hougaard made the Twitter comments after the Springboks' shock defeat of 20-18 against Italy in November 2016.
Derick Hougaard said he was called in at the beginning of 2017 and told he's fired because of his comments.
Rapport newspaper reports that SuperSport spokesperson Clinton van der Berg said Derick Hougaard is an independent contractor and that it remains at SuperSport's discretion to continue to use someone or not.
On Facebook on Saturday Derick Hougaard in a message wrote that "working for SuperSport and doing commentary, it came quite naturally. And the love for the work and brand was growing every week and working with absolute geniuses, legends and great people."
Derick Hougaard wrote that "a minister mailed SuperSport taking me of TV completely. I will always have a fair opinion and will stand by what will make South Africa a force in World Rugby again. It is a shame that it cost me my job."
