Lood hopes to still revive Bok career

DESIRE AND EXCITEMENT’ THERE TO WEAR THE GREEN AND GOLD AGAIN NEXT YEAR

- Ross Roche

Springbok lock Lood de Jager is hopeful that his injury woes will soon be behind him and that once he recovers and returns to competitive action, he will still firmly be in the Bok frame in the coming years.

De Jager, who was a World Cup winner with the Boks in 2019, missed out on the 2023 edition due to a rare heart condition called pericarditis, which was picked up shortly before the naming of last year's World Cup squad.

After recovering from that De Jager returned to action with his Japanese club Wild Knights earlier this year, but received another blow when he picked up a shoulder injury that was initially expected to keep him out for up to two months, but now seems like he may only return at the end of the year.

Despite the disappointment of his most recent injury, which means he will have missed almost two years of Bok action, De Jager was in high spirits when chatting to media at a Caste Lager sponsors event in Kyalami earlier this week.

"I feel like I have to reintroduce myself to everybody again. I've been off the field so long people keep asking me if I'm retired," said De Jager with a laugh.

"I want to get back, it's been a while, but it's a slow process, we're taking it day-by-day, just following the doctor and physiotherapists' advice. It's a tricky one (the injury), and I've started my rehab properly now.