Getroud met Rugby actor Runaldo Leighton Hendricks (27) dies in car accident.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Getroud met Rugby actor Runaldo Leighton Hendricks died in a car accident on Saturday. He was 27.

Netwerk24 first reported that the actor, who has appeared in the role of Stryders rugby player Zappa Hendricks on the weekday soap on kykNET (DStv 144) since the start of 2016, was killed in a car accident on Saturday morning.

On social media, the Getroud met Rugby show on Twitter said it "confirms the sad news that Runaldo Hendricks, the character Zappa in GMR, passed away this morning. We're thinking of his family. Rest in peace, Runaldo".

Runaldo Hendricks was apparently driving a friend's bakkie when he was killed in a car accident.

Michelle Nortje, Overberg Productions publicist, told TVwithThinus on Saturday that "Getroud met Rugby can confirm that Runaldo Hendricks passed away in a car accident this morning".

"Further details have not yet been confirmed. For us as Getroud met Rugby it's very sad to hear about his passing and our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones."

Adriaan Marais who plays Buks Marais in the Overberg Productions show, on his Facebook page posted a message in Afrikaans and said "Ai Runaldo Leighton Hendricks, rest softly my dear friend. It was an absolute honour to have known you and to have worked with you and to have called you a friend".

"You'll be sorely missed. To you and your families, my prayers go out to you all, We are broken together with all of you. A lot of light and love to you all. Rest softly with our Heavenly Father, my friend".

In February kykNET announced that it has cancelled Getroud met Rugby with filming of the final season that will start in July and with the last episode which will be shown on 30 September.   

kykNET cancels Getroud met Rugby soap after 14 years.

by Thinus Ferreira

kykNET has decided to cancel its Getroud met Rugby Afrikaans soap which will air the final episode that will air on 30 September 2022.

The Getroud met Rugby cancellation leaves kykNET with multiple other locally-produced soaps with M-Net's Afrikaans channels division that is actually over-delivering on soap opera programming with series like Binnelanders, Suidooster and multiple others series which remain in original production.

kykNET gave Overberg Productions a slight 6-month contract extension to wrap up characters and storylines for an additional 55 episodes, with filming of the last season that will start in July 2022, and the final episode that will be shown on 30 September on kykNET (DStv 144).

Getroud met Rugby, created by Deon Opperman and Hanli Rolfes that revolved around the fictional Stryders rugby team, ends after 6 seasons as a soap opera, after it made its debut on 7 April 2009 on kykNET as a more risque drama series that continued for 5 seasons before becoming a soap opera in 2016.

In total, Getroud met Rugby was on kykNET for 14 years.

"It is with a heavy heart that we and our viewers bid the tenacious Stryders farewell in September 2022," says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director of kykNET channels.

"A dynamic television landscape necessitates schedule changes, but these changes also bring new opportunities and new stories. kykNET thanks Deon Opperman, Overberg Productions and every actor and member of the production team who contributed to the remarkable success of this truly original South African series."

"kykNET wishes to continue the good working relationships with the producers, talent and production team of Getroud met Rugby after the conclusion of this chapter – a chapter of which we believe the whole Getroud met Rugby team can be very proud of."

Producer Deon Opperman in a statement says "Getroud Met Rugby has been an enormous part of my life as writer and producer for the past 14 years, initially with the five seasons of Getroud Met Rugby as a drama series and afterwards with the soapie. I'm deeply thankful to kykNET for making everything possible".

kykNET and its Getroud met Rugby soap respond after complaints over language and its unfolding rape story line: 'Although the content upsets some viewers, it wasn't handled in a sensationalistic manner'.

Since kykNET moved its Afrikaans language soap Getroud met Rugby back to 18:00, complaints from upset DStv subscribers have been mounting over the course language that they feel is inappropriate for the early primetime family viewing timeslot and a rape storyline, with kykNET that says the unfolding story has not been handled in a sensationalistic manner. 

The Overberg Productions soap from Deon Opperman filmed at Atlas Studios follows the lives of the fictional Stryders rugby team and surrounding community.

In July 2017 Getroud met Rugby that was at 18:30 on the kykNET (DStv 144) schedule was moved to the 21:00 timeslot, but following weak ratings, kykNET moved the soap back since July 2019 where the weekday soap now serves at 18:00 as the lead-in for sister-soap Suidooster. 

Since the move back to an earlier timeslot, complaints from DStv subscribers and kykNET viewers have increased about the foul language that they feel are not appropriate during family time TV viewing.

Viewers are also unhappy about the depiction of the disturbing rape of Anna Redelinghuys (Kate Roothman) by Jacques Kotze (Armand Aucamp) as part of an ongoing story line. 

In response to a media enquiry, Sonè Combrinck, executive producer of Getroud met Rugby, told TVwithThinus that "the story line of Anna Redelinghuys getting raped was not explored by the producers as a controversial theme".

"Rape and forced sex is a topical theme. It's an important theme to approach, given the high numbers of abuse, violence and rape in South Africa. Soaps have a responsibility to comment on social and public welfare issues. August is Women's Month and thus the producers had a golden opportunity to address a serious issue like rape."

"No deliberate shock technique was used in the rape scene," says Sonè Combrinck. "The scene was filmed with sensitivity and integrity, while the specific character's trauma and helplessness had to be portrayed".

"Unfortunately these type of events are a reality. Soaps speak to a mass audience and are in fact created to depict the stories of ordinary people and their daily challenges and experiences."

"The producers constantly try and keep Getroud met Rugby honest and relevant, with a balance of stories ranging from very dramatic to lighthearted, sad and happy, love and hate, violence and reconciliation."

Nicola van Niekerk, kykNET's executive for scripted productions, says that "soaps can't shy away from stories addressing difficult themes - all soaps cover relevant issues ranging from drug-abuse, bullying and medical issues".

"The rape story line in Getroud met Rugby is of topical importance in Women's Month. Statistics show that most rape in South Africa happens by someone who is known to the victim. It's important that any story in any soap is first well-researched and then depicted in a responsible way."

"Although the content upsets some viewers, it wasn't handled in a sensationalistic manner. Soaps can't shy away from telling relevant stories but can handle every story in a respectful manner," says Nicola van Niekerk.

kykNET rejigs schedule from July, kicks its weekday Afrikaans soap, Getroud met Rugby, back to early prime time.

Two years after a dramatic schedule change kykNET (DStv 144) is undoing the ratings damage it caused to some shows and will be moving its Afrikaans weekday soap Getroud met Rugby back from 21:00 to early prime time at 18:00 from July.

Getroud met Rugby that has turned a decade old since it started as a drama series in April 2009 and morphed into a soap, will move back to 18:00 on kykNET from 1 July after it was shunted to 21:00 on weekdays from July 2017.

The Overberg Productions soap filmed at Atlas Studios and following the lives of the fictional Stryders rugby team and surrounding community, was previously at 18:30 on the kykNET schedule before the move to 21:00 two years ago. From July it will serve as the lead-in for sister-soap Suidooster.

While previously saying the soap and other content shifted to later timeslots on kykNET "to make room for all our new content", the channel now says its "good news" that its current affairs shows Prontuit and KN Verslag in Gesprek are also moving to earlier timeslots.

The weekly Prontuit on Mondays with presenter Kabous Meiring will move from 22:00 to 21:00 from 8 July, with KN Verslag in Gesprek with presenter Waldimar Pelser on Wednesdays will move earlier from 21:30 to 21:00 from 3 July.

The earlier timeslots for both these shows will likely also help increase their ratings.

kykNET will add a new travelogue series, Elders: Japan, with Erns Grundling as presenter from Tuesday 2 July at 21:00 who previously did Elders: Die Camino.

Lui maar op, Belinda, is a new Afrikaans sitcom with Brümilda van Rensburg, Annelisa Weiland and Eric Nobbs part of the cast that will start on Monday 8 July at 20:30.

Alles Malan is a new drama series with Nadia Valvekens, Ivan Zimmermann, Albert Maritz and Elsabé Daneel in the cast starting on Tuesday 9 July at 20:00.

The food reality show, Kokkedoor will be back for a third season starting on Thursday 18 July at 20:00 with Hetta van Deventer-Teblanche and Nic van Wyk back as the judges, as well as food blogger Sam Woulidge joining them.

Filmed in Cape Town this time for 13 episdes, the show will kick off with 30 contestants.