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Springbok and Stormers star Steven Kitshoff chatting to the media one final time at his retirement announcement at the Cape Town Stadium earlier this week. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The retirement from rugby of Springbok and Stormers legend Steven Kitshoff earlier this week did not come as a major surprise, but was still a very disappointing outcome.
It was always going to take a miracle to get him back onto the rugby field after he suffered a serious neck injury for Western Province in their Currie Cup match against the Griquas last year, which Kitshoff admitted could have cost him his life.
A serious neck injury is often a death blow to the career of a prop because even if they are able to return to the field, they very rarely are able to get back to the level of play they once achieved.
For Kitshoff being forced out of the game must leave him with a number of complex emotions, because on the one hand, he has achieved more than the vast majority of rugby players could ever dream of over an illustrious career.
He is a double World Cup winner, and also enjoyed other major international success such as winning a British and Irish Lions series, the Rugby Championship and the U20 Junior World Championship, while he also lifted the United Rugby Championship trophy as Stormers captain.
But at 33-years-old he still had a number of years left in him, and could have gone on to achieve even bigger things.
Having amassed 83 caps for the Springboks Kitshoff would definitely have been targeting becoming a centurion, while a third straight Rugby World Cup would have been another major goal as at 35 in 2027 he would likely have still been in the mix.
However, it is not to be and many will wonder how much more he could have achieved during the twilight of his career.
On the Springbok front the team had already been preparing for life without Kitshoff, after he missed the entire international season last year.
Ox Nche is the Boks’ first choice loosehead prop, while Gerhard Steenekamp has become a very strong second choice, and Thomas du Toit can play on both sides of the scrum.
A youngster like Jan-Hendrik Wessles is coming through nicely, and Ntuthuko Mchunu is also on the periphery, so the position is currently well covered and more players will likely continue to come through.
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