Springbok battles to save his career
Steven Kitshoff has shared a personal update on his potentially career-ending injury following surgery that will determine whether he can continue playing professionally.
Amid a thrilling Springbok season, one of the most notable injury setbacks has been the prolonged absence of fan-favorite prop Steven Kitshoff, who has spent much of the year off the field.
The double World Cup-winning prop has been out since early September after sustaining a career-threatening neck injury while in training for Western Province during their Currie Cup campaign after just returning from a serious knee injury.
As stated, the neck injury has threatened to forced the influential prop into early retirement if he receives an unfavourable assessment after undergoing a crucial neck fusion operation.
THERE’S FINALLY A CRUCIAL UPDATE ON SPRINGBOK’S INJURY
While both the Springbok and Stormers camps have been non-committal in recent weeks when asked Kitshoff’s prognosis, where was a double update on Monday as first the Stormers and then the player himself opened up regarding the assessment of the all-important neck fusion procedure.
Speaking in a Stormers conference, assistant coach Dawie Snyman shared a cautious update on the loosehead prop’s condition.
“We haven’t spoken to the specialist or gotten any feedback from his doctors. The first thing is that we want him to recover, and we’ll take it from there,” Snyman told reporters.
The veteran Springbok then took to social media to provide a more in-depth update on the diagnosis he received from the medical team.
“Thrilled to share that my operation was a big success,” the Springbok wrote on Instagram.
“A massive thank you to my incredible doctors and nurses for their amazing care, and to all my family, friends, and loyal supporters—your support means the world to me.
“It’s going to be a long recovery journey, but I’m excited for the future ahead. Please trust me for updates on my progress and don’t believe any other sources. Here’s to healing,” the Springbok concluded.