Lood de Jager set to make return after SIX months

Springbok Lood de Jager is set to make his return to rugby after nearly six months on the sidelines.

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The towering lock last ran out for the Springboks in the second round of the Rugby Championship last July in New Zealand, where the Springboks went down 35-20.

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Shortly after, De Jager was sidelined with a “chest issue” that was later diagnosed as pericarditis – the swelling of the tissue surrounding the heart.

After months of stringent tests, a heart specialist finally cleared the 31-year-old for activity.

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In early December 2023, De Jager was spotted on the training paddock for Japan League One side Saitama Wild Knights.

Now, after getting through a training match last week, De Jager has been named in the Wild Knights’ starting line-up to face the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dyanaboars on Saturday, 13 January.

Springbok team-mate Damian de Allende will also feature at inside centre for the Japanese franchise.

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In terms of the Springboks’ 2024 plans, De Jager’s return is timeous indeed.

On Tuesday, 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning lock Jean Kleyn was ruled out for the rest of the season after he decided to have knee surgery while he waits for an eye issue to clear up.

With just five months until Ireland arrive in South Africa for a tantalising two-match series, Lood de Jager has plenty of time to play his way back into Rassie Erasmus’ squad.

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