South Africa Springboks and Stormers celebrated athlete Steven Kitshoff has felt compelled to retire after suffering a serious neck injury last year. Kitshoff has been a key player for both club and country. The professional sportsman was instrumental in helping South Africa win the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and 2023. Kitshoff had been out of action since September after he sustained a neck injury which required surgery and extensive rehabilitation. Kitshoff has said that “Playing rugby has been my life from a young age and I was lucky enough to live the dream of many young boys by representing the Springboks and the DHL Stormers.”
“It is obviously incredibly disappointing for my career to end in this way, but unfortunately the risk to my wellbeing was simply too high. “I really wanted to finish my story with the DHL Stormers on the pitch and gave the rehab and comeback the best shot I could, but it was not to be.” According to the front-rower, he was “two millimetres from death” and he has now made the decision to hang up his boots. In a statement, the Stormers revealed that “he has been left with significantly reduced rotation of his neck” and that returning to playing would leave him at “high risk” of suffering another injury. “There are so many people who have provided incredible support for me over the years, not least my wife Aimee and my parents,” Kitshoff added.
Kitshoff is indeed lucky to have survived his critical injury having been close to death. He has served the Springboks as was acceptable to doing his best. It was a career where he had been performing professionally and athletically for the Springboks rugby team. Professionally, competitive sports are focused on winning against the opposing team. Rugby in particular happens to be a rough sport. Injuries are frequent. Kitschoff played with passion but it was now time for him to weigh his options and come to terms with the truth of his exit. This would not have been an easy task but given a near brush with semi-paralysis or death he did the right thing. Kishoff is fortunate to have the support of his wife and family with him. Retiring right now from a successful career that has become hazardous is the wise choice. Kitshoff has had his triumphs.
The Lions and Bulls will host the final double header of local derbies on Saturday afternoon in Gauteng as the race to claim the South African Shield in the United Rugby Championship (URC) heats up. After disappointing in their Jukskei derby loss, the Johannesburg side find themselves under pressure and fighting to stay in contention in the competition. Ellis Park should be a welcome sight for the Lions this weekend, but after losing that winning momentum and knowing the exploits the Sharks pulled off after their last visit to Gauteng, the home side will be wary. The two teams will meet in back-to-back clashes over the following couple of weeks, with the return game scheduled for next Saturday at Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
So, there will be no time for the Lions to dwell on what went wrong against the Bulls. They’ll have to find a solution quickly for their inconsistent run of form. Apart from four good wins at the start of the URC, they haven’t been able to string together two winning performances in a row. They need to start doing that to have any chance of qualifying for the top eight.
Professional sports like rugby are focused on how to win the match. Its major purpose is entertainment. The clashes between the major sports clubs in this case rugby teams like the Lions verses the Sharks is to draw the supporting crowds into the stadiums. Rugby is one of the toughest sports on the spectrum. It works the supporting spectators into a frenzy to see which of their opposing teams will win. The URC is a determining factor in which professional players will make the Springboks Rugby team. Competition breeds determination and determination breeds endurance and strength. If one team like the Lions make a slip up in a match, they stand to lose everything. The Sharks from KwaZulu-Natal are tough to beat in their own right.
The Sharks, the Lions and Bulls are all made up professional athletes and sports stars at the top of their game. The Bulls will expectantly find a way to return to major league. But going up against the Sharks promises to not be a picnic. All these competing rugby teams are likely to call upon their strength and training to contest against each other for that URC South African Shield. This is simply the end goal. But the intensity and resilience dominate the scene.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
