Kitshoff on the mend but doubts persist about whether he will play again

Steven Kitshoff went under the knife to fix his serious neck injury on Monday and though the operation was a success, his road back onto the field is set to be long and winding.

His prospects of playing Test rugby again face even longer odds after his operation.

Kitshoff declared the operation a success on social media and implored fans to trust only updates scripted by him.

He did not play for the Boks this year after sustaining a knee injury while playing for Ulster and soon after his return he sustained the neck injury while playing for Western Province against Griquas.

The last time Kitshoff left the Test arena it was on a high after the Rugby World Cup final triumph over the All Blacks in Paris in 2023.

Since his debut against Ireland in 2016 he has had a highly decorated career spanning 83 Tests.

His prospects of playing are unclear and it was not territory Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman was willing to go into.

“We haven’t spoken to the specialist or got any feedback from his doctors,” Snyman said.

“I went to him just as he came out of surgery, just spent a bit of time with him. No update of his situation. The first thing is we want him to recover and we’ll take it from there.”

Should he be able to continue his career, regaining his Test spot may prove a tall order. Bok loose head Ox Nché has established himself as the best in the position in the world this year and the 29-year-old is about to hit the prime of his career.

If Kitshoff, like many top props, is insured against career-ending injury, he may also have cause to pause before re-engaging his playing days.