Share

Lions assistant coach charged with alleged assault

Cape Town - Lions defence coach Joey Mongalo was charged with alleged assault on their recent tour to Australasia.

According to the TimesLIVE website, the 33-year-old appeared in a Sydney court last week where he was charged with indecently assaulting a female hotel staff member.

The alleged incident occurred after the Lions’ 29-0 win over the Waratahs in Sydney late last month.

The Lions Rugby Company released a statement confirming the charges against their employee.

“The company do not seek to make any further comment on the matter, given it is being handled by the New South Wales Police and is before the NSW court system.

“The company understands that Mr Mongalo intends to defend the allegation that has been made against him. To that end‚ the company also understands that Mr Mongalo has retained legal representation in relation to the matter.”

Sydney Police also released a statement confirming “a 33-year-old male guest indecently assaulted a 26-year-old female staff member’ (at) about 19:20 on 23 April”.

According to the police statement, the incident was reported on Friday, April 27 when inquiries began.

Mongalo was arrested at Maroubra Police Station and charged with indecent assault.

He remains on conditional bail until his next court appearance on June 20.

Mongalo was a prominent junior player and represented the Blue Bulls age group teams, playing mainly as a flyhalf.

He went on to play senior rugby for the Bulls but was never able to cement a spot at the top level.

He subsequently turned his attentions to coaching and has been part of the Lions structures for some time.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE