A career-ending neck injury has forced double Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff to call time on his illustrious international and domestic career on Tuesday.
Kitshoff tore neck muscles playing for DHL Western Province in a Currie Cup game against Griquas in Kimberley last year as a scrum went down and the 83 times-capped Springbok later revealed that he was two millimetres from death if the tear between his C1 and C2 vertebrae had been worse.
After a successful neck surgery in November, Kitshoff was still hopeful of a possible return to the game with an assessment in January this year that would determine his fate. But doctors did not have good news for the prop who re-signed to play for the Stormers last year after leaving Irish club Ulster at the end of the 2023/24 United Rugby Championship campaign.
The 33-year old who played in 138 games for the Stormers said of his decision to retire:
Playing rugby has been my life from a young age and I was lucky enough to live the dream of many young boys by representing the Springboks and the DHL Stormers.
It is obviously incredibly disappointing for my career to end in this way, but unfortunately the risk to my well-being was simply too high.
I really wanted to finish my story with the DHL Stormers on the pitch and gave the rehab and comeback the best shot I could, but it was not to be.
In appreciation of those who have supported his career at the DHL Stormers and as a Springbok, Kitshoff added:
There are so many people who have provided incredible support for me over the years, not least my wife Aimee and my parents. I will always be grateful to all of the coaches, teammates and support staff at both the DHL Stormers and SA Rugby and of course the fans who have had such a big impact on my career.
As much as I will miss playing and the special feeling of running out to represent something much bigger than myself, I am also looking forward to an exciting new chapter in my life.
I’ll be there at DHL Stadium cheering the boys on, just like I did as a youngster. I walk away from my playing days with so many incredible memories that I will cherish forever.
DHL Stormers director of rugby, John Dobson, was saddened by Kitshoff’s decision to retire but added that the red-haired prop will certainly go down as one of the greats of the modern game after leading the Cape Town-based club to the 2021/22 URC title.
Dobson said:
Beyond his undeniable impact on the field and impressive longevity, Steven stands out as a top human being who treated everyone with respect and always remained firmly grounded.
He started out as a prodigy and proved himself against the best in the world. He will be remembered as a fantastic rugby player and a credit to his family. Playing for the Springboks and the DHL Stormers meant a lot to him and that passion and love was given back to him by the fans.
Kitshoff made his Springbok debut off the substitutes bench in 2016 in the third and deciding Test of a three-game series against Ireland in Gqeberha with South Africa winning 19-13 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
His last Test for South Africa was in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in France as the Springboks made history by beating New Zealand 12-11 at Stade de France to become the first team to win four world titles and the second team to win back-to-back tournaments.
