Lood: International rugby is a different beast

Springbok lock Lood de Jager (right) said that while he has played club rugby across the world, and has his share of international caps, he has to gear himself up mentally for the highest form of rugby after being out of action for the Springboks since July 2023.

- Nicholas Zaal

The 32-year-old played only two international games in the 2022/23 season: a Test against Ireland (in which he left the field due to a shoulder injury) and one against New Zealand in the Rugby Championship. He was then diagnosed with a heart issue, pericarditis, that saw him miss the World Cup.

He returned to action last year before tearing his rotator cuff in the Japan Rugby League One final in May. The recovery from his shoulder surgery in June was extended from two months to about seven months so that he returned to domestic rugby only in January this year.