Steven Kitshoff sheds light on 'stressful' career-threatening injury

South Africa loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff has explained why his current neck injury is a "stressful one" just days before he undergoes neck fusion surgery.
The double World Cup-winning prop has been out since early September after sustaining the injury playing for Western Province in the Currie Cup against Griquas. The 32-year-old had only just returned from a knee issue, with both injuries depriving him of playing for the Springboks at all in 2024.
Joining RugbyPass TV's latest episode of Boks Office this week, the former Ulster prop explained how the location of the injury on his neck has made it such a concern ahead of his operation on November 20.
Speaking to former Springbok Schalk Burger, who has undergone the same procedure, the 83-cap international said that he had no "neural fallout" and that he was "quite pain-free" sitting there.
"It's a bit of a stressful one because it's such a high area of my neck - C1 and C2 - which is a bit of an issue," he said.
"I've been through this the last couple of weeks building up to the operation. Basically now I just want to get it done and start the rehab process and see what happens after that."
Kitshoff went on to detail how he suffered the injury in a scrum that didn't even collapse.
"It was quite a fright," he said. "It happened in the weirdest way. Just a normal scrum, and everyday type of thing, and then I just felt something snap at the back.
"Mine was just a normal scrum. The scrum didn't even collapse. In the process of the scrum, I just felt something go.
There were initial fears that this injury could jeopardise Kitshoff's rugby future, but he was upbeat on the podcast about starting his rehab.
An update is yet to be issued as to how long he will be sidelined for after the operation, but Kitshoff said that he hopes to be playing golf again by February.
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We’re behind on player development in NZ. We still think we know it all and therefore still have amateur age systems in place we call professional because the people in it are paid.
Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR. 21 is young now. Dan Carter was an AB at that age. Jacomb is 23 already. Never mind France, where talented young players are loaned out to clubs in lower leagues where they play men instead of boys. The ProD2 toughens you up pretty quickly. It’s where real talent goes that is too good for the espoirs (U21).
Our development is all over the place. Club, school, then back to the club, NPC, SR, ABs. Leinster is a good example. They decide how schools play, who plays and in what position. Schools play the ‘Leinster way'. French clubs have academies where kids enter as young as 12. They have clear pathways on their player development. What position(s) they play etc. Our schools are only interested in themselves.
SR clubs need the same control over schools in their catchment area as Leinster has. That would be a start.
Go to commentsI’d love to know the odds on a Western Force/ Highlanders final?
If Barrett and Ioane keep this lacklustre form up, they should not make the ABs squad. Getting outplayed by a whole team of young and inexperienced players should not win you any favours.
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