Veteran utility forward Deon Fourie has not featured for the Springboks since the 2023 World Cup final, but the importance of his role in that tournament can never be underestimated after he suddenly served as the back up hooker to Bongi Mbonambi after an injury to Malcolm Marx.
Since then, Fourie has been beset by unfortunate injuries, and many feared that he potentially suffered a career-ending setback after sustaining a broken ankle suffered in a URC match against Connacht back in April.
Fourie, who turned 39 years old in September, had only just recently made his comeback for the Stormers before then suffering a torn bicep.
“Deon’s devastated,” Stormers coach Dobson said after the match. “There lot of tears in the change room, Deon was in tears. It’s a serious bicep injury that will require surgery”
Stormers and Springbok veteran once again in recovery mode
After recently going under the knife, Fourie spoke to Independent Media just 10 days after an operation to reattach the muscle to the bone.
“At the beginning of the year, I was at the Bok alignment camp, then a few weeks after that I broke my ankle,” he explained.
“That was a big blow because I thought I could bring myself into the Springbok mix and maybe get another Test.”
Latest setback
As Fourie now faces a lengthy period of recovery and rehab once again, he admitted that an uncertain path lay ahead.
“Emotionally, I have been up and down regarding my future,” he added. “Maybe I must start listening to the signs. We will see. When rehab starts at the Stormers and I start seeing the guys, maybe the fire will start burning again.”
Fourie’s playing career spans the better part of the last two decades, and includes over 100 caps for the Stormers and Western Province, nearly a 100 appearances for Lyon in France, and 13 memorable Springbok matches.
