Stormers remove two World Cup-winning Boks from Champions Cup squad
The Stormers have removed the injured duo of Steven Kitshoff and Damian Willemse from their Investec Champions Cup squad just days before their campaign gets underway.
The double World Cup-winning loosehead prop recently underwent neck fusion surgery, while Willemse is suffering from a groin injury in a year where he has been beset by issues.
Kitshoff was recently a guest on RugbyPass TV's Boks Office, where he detailed the severity of his injury and the surgery, saying: “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."
The 32-year-old recently revealed on social media that he was "thrilled to share that my operation was a big success,” but added that it will be a "long recovery journey," which explains why he will be unavailable this weekend and beyond for the Stormers.
The pair have been deregistered for the opening round of the competition, against Toulon on Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, with two additional players being added.
Zachary Porthen has been called up in Kitshoff's place, while Willemse has been replaced by Jonathan Roche.
Saracens have been forced into the same move ahead of their match against the Bulls, with second-row academy graduate Charlie Barker being replaced by Tiff Eden.
Only one other Champions Cup outfit has opted to alter their squad, with Leicester Tigers deregistering back-row Joshua Manz in order for Cameron Miell to join the squad for their trip to face Bordeaux-Begles.
Edinburgh have been forced into two squad changes ahead of their Challenge Cup meeting with Gloucester, with Scotland centre Mark Bennett and flanker Connor Boyle out. Euan McVie and Tom Currie will step in in their place.
The final squad change comes from France, where Perpignan have called up back-row Andro Dvali for Alan Brazo.
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Reading this article is like reading someone having a mental breakdown.
European rugby is in endless bankruptcies, its national sides in endless RWC failings & some of its clubs are only season to season financial propositions BUT, according to the author’s conspiracies, its New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby that, quote, ‘simply isn’t a competition people should take seriously’ (??!!).
That idea while New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby participant clubs continue to profit after 130+ years (& similar traditional Oz club longevity).
Yet it's NZ/Oz rugby that has the viability problem!???
Reality is difficult for you author. See a doctor. Urgently!
But the author's mad rant continues, with the insistence that the way to fix his conspiracy of a sick Super Pacific Rugby is for it to let all its top players run away OS (surprise, surprise, to Europe to fix its club rugby) by removing OS restrictions of its best players.
Hurry call an ambulance for the author.
It's simple, a mass exodus of high skill therefore high entertainment players (will that even happen?? ie again given the increasing European restrictions & financial stress in European clubs) will kill the core business of INTEREST in NZ comps & therefore lose the life blood $ of those same TV rights, sponsorships, gate entry, memberships, merchandise, etc. Mass loss in audience INTEREST & its resulting $$ loss.
RE the French B team for NZ 2025 tests,
If you wanna see where test rugby could end up as (ie 2nd rate) if it continues to allow the French mismanagement, look at what ‘Indian club cricket money’ control is doing to test cricket, ie because of A international test team players contracts with Indian clubs & their $, those players not available for international tests eg South Africa send a ‘B’ test cricket team to NZ last year, likewise West Indies send a ‘B’ test cricket team to OZ last year.
Relevance to test rugby & ABs?
France's reason for not sending their A team for the AB tests in 2025? Quote, 'resting them (!) for the Top 14 club rugby commitments'.
World Rugby is failing to manage & protect the game again.
France CHOSE to make its extra long Top 14 season & not respect the World rugby international window.
France should be removed from test rugby til they do respect it.
Or test rugby will be like failing test cricket very soon by letting national club $ rule over the international game.
If World Rugby allows the degrading of international game it will degrade audience (therefore ratings ), will degrade the $, hence will degrade the $ to players & rugby generally.
World Rugby, Prioritise the international window OVER national club window.
Especially over (despite all it endless irrational hype) failing European club rugby.
Go to commentsSigned contracts seem to be regarded very lowly in NZ Rugby given how readily they are cancelled when players get a better offer. It would seem the opposite to Japan given how Mounga cant be brought home without serious money changing hands...We really are becoming a backwater.
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