Former springbok hooker Naka Drotské will spend the next week in isolation in a private hospital in Pretoria but is said to be doing much better, his brother Tinus told the Sunday Times on Saturday. 

Drotské was shot three times during a robbery on Thursday night at Tinus's smallholding in Kameeldrift in Pretoria.

He was with former Springbok and Cheetahs teammate Os du Randt, Tinus  and Tinus’s three children when four men barged into the house at 9.15pm.

“He’s doing much better this morning but he’s still in the intensive care unit and they’ve put him in isolation so that he can’t attract bacteria,” Tinus said.

He added they were grateful the bullets had missed vital body parts. “We were worried about the one that went through his intestines but he’s doing fine and is due for more operations on Thursday to fix his elbow that was hit by a bullet,” he said.

Drotské, who lives in Bloemfontein, will stay in Pretoria while he recuperates.

“They don’t want to take chances and move him to Bloemfontein. He will remain in Pretoria until he is able to travel. It's high risk to move him now. But we really appreciate the prayers and support from people.”

Du Randt and Drotské’s wife, Marzanne, issued a joint statement on Saturday, saying Drotské was on pain killers and mostly sleeping.

“Please know that we appreciate every call, message and all your prayers - we can’t reply to you all personally but we really do read your posts and messages.”

Gauteng provincial police spokesman Captain Kay Makhubele said no arrests had been made. “We are still looking for suspects,” he said.

Drotské played 26 tests for the Springboks and was a member of the Rugby World Cup winning team in 1995.