Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff has revealed his plans for life after rugby following the announcement of his retirement.

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.

Double World Cup-winning prop forward Steven Kitshoff has been forced to retire from rugby after a serious neck injury.

Steven Kitshoff’s wife, Aimee, posted an emotional message after her husband announced his retirement from rugby amid suffering a career-ending injury.

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”.

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

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