Oosthuizen hails impact of alignment camps on players

FOR veteran Lions lock Etienne Oosthuizen, the chance of wearing the Springbok jersey has probably come and gone.

- JOHN GOLIATH

It's largely due to career-threatening myocarditis that saw him give up the game for two years after being diagnosed with the heart condition in 2020 while playing for French club Lyon. After stepping away from rugby, he worked as a real estate agent, before returning to the game he loves with the Lions in 2023.

Since then, Oosthuizen has been one of the pillars of strength in the Lions' pack, and at 33 years old he is still playing to a very high standard. Sadly, though, his dreams of running out in the green and gold are gone.

But he does get to experience the joy and excitement that his teammates feel when they come back from one of coach Rassie Erasmus' alignment camps. He, like his other Lions teammates not involved in the national setup at the moment, is witnessing the positive effect of the call-ups.