South Africa prop Steven Kitshoff has announced his retirement from all rugby because of a serious neck injury that he said in an interview last year left him “two millimeters” from death.

Springboks prop Steven Kitshoff has been forced into retirement at the age of 33 by a serious neck injury. The loosehead underwent stabilising surgery last year after sustaining the issue playing for Western Province last year.

Veteran Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff officially retired on Tuesday, 25 February 2025, after a serious neck injury meant he was unable to continue.

Kitshoff, a World Cup winner in 2019 and 2023, underwent surgery after sustaining the injury on Currie Cup duty for Western Province in September. The 33-year-old former Ulster player revealed in a subsequent interview that he was told by a specialist that “I was two millimetres away from catastrophe, from death”.

The prop revealed late last year that the incident during a Currie Cup game that caused his injury had very nearly taken his life. "It was just another scrum, then three cracking noises - pop, pop, pop," Kitshoff told Rapport newspaper.

Legendary Springbok and Stormers prop Steven Kitshoff has been forced to call time on his rugby career due to a serious neck injury.

Steven Kitshoff has been forced to retire from professional rugby on medical grounds at the age of 33 after undergoing neck

Two-time World Cup winner Steven Kitshoff forced into early retirement by serious neck injury; Prop Kitshoff started for the Springboks in their victories over England and New Zealand in the 2019 and

Double South Africa World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff is forced to retire because of a serious neck injury.

Two-time World Cup winning South African prop Steven Kitshoff said he is walking away with "so many incredible memories" after announcing his retirement owing to a serious neck injury. "The Springboks have been an incredible part of my life,