Steven Kitshoff sheds light on 'stressful' career-threatening injury

South Africa loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff has explained why his current neck injury is a “stressful one” just days before he undergoes neck fusion surgery.

The double World Cup-winning prop has been out since early September after sustaining the injury playing for Western Province in the Currie Cup against Griquas. The 32-year-old had only just returned from a knee issue, with both injuries depriving him of playing for the Springboks at all in 2024.

Joining RugbyPass TV’s upcoming episode of Boks Office this week, the former Ulster prop explained how the location of the injury on his neck has made it such a concern ahead of his operation on November 20.

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Speaking to former Springbok Schalk Burger, who has undergone the same procedure, the 83-cap international said that he had no “neural fallout” and that he was “quite pain-free” sitting there.

“It’s a bit of a stressful one because it’s such a high area of my neck – C1 and C2 – which is a bit of an issue,” he said.

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“I’ve been through this the last couple of weeks building up to the operation. Basically now I just want to get it done and start the rehab process and see what happens after that.”

Kitshoff went on to detail how he suffered the injury in a scrum that didn’t even collapse.

“It was quite a fright,” he said. “It happened in the weirdest way. Just a normal scrum, and everyday type of thing, and then I just felt something snap at the back.

“Mine was just a normal scrum. The scrum didn’t even collapse. In the process of the scrum, I just felt something go.

There were initial fears that this injury could jeopardise Kitshoff’s rugby future, but he was upbeat on the podcast about starting his rehab.

An update is yet to be issued as to how long he will be sidelined after the operation.