Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu and his family are “doing well” after an alleged violent home invasion that put them in hospital with serious injuries.
Kefu’s close friend and former Queensland teammate Shane Drahm joined Tim Horan on Stan Sport’s Rugby Heaven on Tuesday to provide an update on the family’s recovery from injuries that police allege were caused by a group of intruders armed with at least a knife and a machete.
Drahm said all four Kefus should recover physically but the mental scars would take a long time to heal.
“They’re not too bad,” Drahm said.
“All things considered Kef is doing pretty well. He’s in a stable condition, out of surgery now. As Kef always is, he’s in high spirits. Had all his family up there this morning, all cracking jokes and paying him out. All things considered he’s doing pretty well.”
Drahm visited Kefu and his family in hospital in Brisbane on Tuesday morning.
“They’re doing well, unfortunately I didn’t get to see Madi (Kefu’s daughter), she was in surgery when I went up there,” Drahm said.
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“Josh (Kefu’s son) is out and physically they will recover but mentally it’s going to be tough. Some bad injuries, Rachel (Kefu’s wife) unfortunately is at a different hospital which is very hard, to be separated from the rest of the family, particularly given what’s just happened. She is probably in surgery at the moment or would have just got out.
“I think she’ll be fine physically but again will be in rehab for a little while. Tough circumstances.”
Drahm said he had fielded “hundreds” of phone calls and text messages since the incident.
“I had messages from all around the world, ironically it was the day after the Bledisloe Cup match and as we know Kef was the last guy who I guess scored the winning try for us,” Drahm said.
“One of the first texts I got was from the All Blacks coach on the night that they lost the Bledisloe, Wayne Smith. I guess that’s Kef’s personality, his positivity was infectious across the world and that was shown yesterday.”
A 15-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder while a second boy, 13, was also charged with burglary for his alleged involvement in the incident at Kefu’s Coorparoo home.
Drahm said it was too early to know when the family would be discharged.
“They’re just trying to remain in high spirits, they’re not planning that far ahead. Probably all of them have a bit of recovery to do and that will be partly led by the police and their investigation and obviously Kef’s circumstances.”
Kefu is now the coach of Tonga.
“The support is amazing, they’ve got a huge family, the Tongan team got together and they’ll be putting on a spread over the next week,” Drahm said.
“So a lot of support if they need it but probably a bit too early to say at this time.”
Horan, Kefu’s Wallabies teammate from the victorious 1999 Rugby World Cup team, said his initial reaction was one of “shock and disbelief.”
“We don’t think these things happen in the suburbs of Brisbane but I think the whole rugby world has got behind and are hoping to support the Kefu family,” Horan said.
“I think it’s great that there’s some positive news, hopefully coming out. Kef was up this morning, having a bit of KFC. Obviously still a bit to go with Rachel.
“Rachel, Toutai’s wife is always smiling, got a great personality, five kids they have and they’ll all be affected going forward. But the rugby community is a great community and that family will get behind the Kefus for a long time to come.”
