Springboks throw Fourie a ‘surprise lifeline’ that he wants to grab with both hands

AFTER his omission from the Spring- bok setup in 2024, you would’ve been excused for thinking that world cham- pion Deon Fourie had seen the last of a Bok jersey in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

He is 38 years old, after all, and the curtain call on his illustrious career is fast approaching. But, in Springbok rugby, if you are still good enough, you are never too old to represent the country.

That is what Bok head coach Rassie Erasmus said after surprising again by pulling the veteran Fourie into his plans for 2025 - a year the world champions look set to experiment more with their player stocks, especially those with not too many Test caps.

The Springboks will play 15 Tests — two must still be confirmed — and a friendly match against the Barbarians is on the cards for the middle of the year.

Fourie himself was quite surprised by the call-up after not being involved at all post the 2023 tournament, though a long-term injury did curtail most of his rugby last year. He is back to his fiery self on the field and has been putting in performances for the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship (URC).