Boks whistleblower is found shot dead

Dale McDermott, the man whose pictures of cowering, naked rugby players at the infamous Camp Barbed Wire caused a national scandal in South Africa, apparently committed suicide over the weekend. He was found with a bullet wound to the head at his home in Durban. Police believe it was self-inflicted.

McDermott was employed as the Springboks' technical analyst at the time of Kamp Staaldraad and recorded the events of the pre-World Cup build-up in 2003. He then released several images to a newspaper as he believed the players were being unnecessarily ill-treated.

Among the various demeaning tasks demanded of the South Africa squad was crawling naked across gravel, trying to pump up rugby balls while immersed in freezing water and being forced into covered pits as ice-cold water was poured over them. The resulting furore after McDermott's pictures found their way into the newspapers signalled the end of Rudolf Straeuli's reign as coach. As soon as the Boks returned from a dismal performance at the World Cup, the coach, as well as several senior figures in South African rugby, parted company with the team - albeit with hefty severance packages.

McDermott was less fortunate. He had to resign his job with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research from where he had been seconded to the Springboks and ended up selling used cars in Cape Town. He found himself an outcast in the rugby world.

"I don't want the blame to be laid at anybody's door," said McDermott's mother Laurel yesterday. "He was struggling with depression and he did feel alone and deserted. Rugby was his passion and he thought he was doing the right thing by not covering up what people wanted covered up."

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