Springbok Deon Fourie’s career is in jeopardy after suffering a long-term injury in the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship game against Connacht this past weekend.
The 38-year-old loose forward came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute for the Stormers, but unfortunately he lasted less than a minute as he was seen limping off the field in the 63rd minute.
Cutting a dejected figure, Fourie was later spotted on the side of the field sporting on crutches and a leg brace.
In the aftermath of the Stormers’ dramatic 34-29 victory, head coach John Dobson said while he couldn’t confirm anything as of yet because the Springbok haven’t undergone scans or x-rays yet, they suspected it to be a serious season-ending injury.
On Tuesday, forwards coach Rito Hlungwani let the cat out of the bag, revealing they’ve received confirmation that Fourie suffered a broken tibia in what was just his ninth appearance of the season for the Stormers.
“It’s a broken tibia, so he’ll be out for a while,” Hlungwani told at a press conference.
“Losing a player of Deon’s calibre and experience is a major blow. But you know, Deon was in yesterday and he is in today,” the Stormers assistant coach revealed. “He is one guy that really contributes to the team in total different ways. So not having him on the field is a major blow, but he’ll still be present.
“He has really took Paul de Villiers under his wing. He was in the office today analysing the game with him, so we’re still have him in that regard, it’s just tricky and tough not having him on the field. We’re moving forward and he is helping us move forward in the right ways.”
IS DEON FOURIE’S SPRINGBOK CAREER OVER?
The 38-year-old last played for the Springboks in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against the All Blacks, before the Springbok sustained a knee injury while playing for the Stormers in an Champions Cup last April, a knock from which he only returned to action in late December.
However, given the fact that he was included in the first Bok alignment camp of 2025 in March, it’s clear that Rassie Erasmus’ had – at the time – still seen him as valuable contributor despite his age.
But now that the aging Fourie has broken his tibia, which typically takes between four and six months to heal, there are understandable concerns that he might not be able to make a Springbok Test comeback of any kind this time, especially considering he turns 39 years old in September.
DO YOU THINK HE COULD STILL FIGHT HIS WAY?
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