'Cougar' accused of planning hit on rugby star

Rugby player Deon Helberg playing for South Africa in the IRB Sevens tournament. Photo / Getty Images

It was an extraordinary love triangle, which nearly had murderous overtones.

The case of the doctor's wife, her daughter, the rugby star and the two hitmen has captivated South Africa this week.

Two years ago, while her daughter was dating Blue Bulls rugby player Deon Helberg, Pretoria woman Amanda Reyneke, 47, reportedly had a brief affair with the player.

Helberg and his connections have always denied the affair ever took place.

But this year, for motives that are not yet clear, Amanda Reyneke allegedly hired two hit men to kill the 21-yr-old Helberg.

She was arrested at a shopping mall in an undercover police operation last week.

This morning (NZ time) she was granted bail in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.

Reyneke, a doctor's wife, has been instructed by the court to seek mental health counselling, and part of her bail conditions include her not contacting Helberg or his family.

Reyneke was arrested by police at a shopping centre in Pretoria last Thursday after she allegedly handed over money to two Nigerian men, who she reportedly believed had killed Helberg.

But the two "hitmen" worked with the police to catch her, and even showed her a fake picture of Helberg lying "dead" in a pool of blood, as proof that she should pay them, South African media reports say.

The case has been postponed to January next year.

- INDEPENDENT (South Africa), AGENCIES