Steven Kitshoff’s future in rugby hangs in the balance, with a medical specialist set to determine whether the seasoned Springbok prop will be able to return to the field.
The 32-year-old, known as one of the best scrummagers in the game, is sidelined with a serious neck injury that may force him into early retirement.
Kitshoff suffered the injury during a Currie Cup clash between Western Province and Griquas in early September, having only recently returned from a knee injury.
His absence is a major blow for both the DHL Stormers and the Springboks, who will be without his services for the upcoming November Tests against Scotland, England, and Wales.
The prognosis for Kitshoff remains uncertain, with the two-time World Cup winner set to under a crucial assessment in the next two weeks.
According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, the seriousness of the injury means there is doubt over whether he will make it back onto the field.
“We have to wait for six weeks, which hasn’t come yet,” Stormers coach John Dobson said this week.
“There’s a thing called an ADI gap, which is a measurement at the top of the neck. They are waiting until after six weeks to see if there is improvement.
“That hasn’t come yet. It will be in the next week or two. Then we will know whether he needs surgical intervention, which could mean he’s out for six to eight months.
“Where the injury is, you have to be super conservative.”
Despite Kitshoff’s absence, Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks have no shortage of depth at loosehead prop, with Ox Nche, Gerhard Steenekamp, Ntuthuko Mchunu, and Jan-Hendrik Wessels all ready to step up.
However, the Stormers may be ready to enter the market for a new loosehead next season, especially as Ali Vermaak, Sti Sithole and Lizo Gqoboka have all struggled with injuries recently.
Dobson said after the Stormers’ win over Munster in Cape Town that Sharks and Springbok loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu fits the profile they would like to add to their roster.
“We are not in negotiations yet, but he is definitely on our radar,” Dobson said when asked about Mchunu.
“If you look at our loosehead prop roster, Kitsie, Ali, Sti and Lizo are all carrying injuries of some form. A 24/25-year-old Springbok like that would be a great addition for us.”
Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
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