South Africa’s World Cup winning prop Steven Kitshoff has revealed the grisly details of a scrum gone wrong that he says almost killed him, and has left his career in limbo.
Kitshoff was playing in a Currie Cup match for Western Province in September when a scrum collapsed and he heard three cracking sounds and opted to play on.
He told South African publication Rapport that it was only later he realised the damage caused to his neck. He has required major surgery to fuse two cervical vertebrae with bone from his hip.
“It was just another scrum, then three cracking sounds – pop, pop, pop,“ he told Rapport.
“I played on, thinking it was a muscle strain. [But] today I know: I was two millimetres from a catastrophe, from my death.
“The first thing the specialist said to me was: ‘Listen, you’re lucky we didn’t bury you in a week.’ Because the vertebra that shifted is so close to my brain canal. Without the operation, I’d never play rugby again.”
Kitshoff, who played in the World Cup final win over New Zealand last year, said he wants to recover and play in the 2027 tournament – but accepts it could be the end of his career.
“I’ll see the specialist in January to assess my recovery. If my neck holds up, I’m going for it,” Kitshoff said.
“If I have to retire, I’ll be satisfied. But I’m not done yet – I’ve always been a warrior for my team.
“Rugby’s a dangerous sport, but I’ll give my all because I’m fighting for my team.”
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