SA Rugby has paid tribute to one of its ‘most beloved rugby sons’, Kaunda Ntunja, who passed away at the age of 38 on Monday.

The multi-award-winning rugby broadcaster is believed to have succumbed to Covid-19.

‘We are deeply saddened at the loss of one of our most beloved rugby sons, Kaunda Ntunja, who passed away at the age of 38 this morning,’ SA Rugby said in a statement. ‘He was a true rugby pioneer – the first black African SA Schools captain, a Currie Cup winner and a groundbreaking SuperSport commentator.’

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said Ntunja had ‘left an indelible mark on the local rugby landscape’.

‘We will miss seeing his broad smile and hearing his voice at our rugby matches in future – this is a tragic loss, he left us too soon!

‘Our thoughts are with the Ntunja family and all of his friends and colleagues for this terrible loss – the South African rugby community is much poorer without Kaunda Ntunja,’ concluded Alexander.

RIP Kaunda: A voice of South African rugby