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.

Springboks prop Steven Kitshoff has been forced into retirement at the age of 33 by a serious neck injury. The loosehead underwent stabilising surgery last year after sustaining the issue playing for Western Province last year.

Two-time World Cup-winning South African prop Steven Kitshoff said he is walking away with “so many incredible memories” after retiring due to a serious neck injury. The 33-year-old, capped 83 times and a pivotal member of the 2019 and 2023 World Cup-winning sides,

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”.

The prop revealed late last year that the incident during a Currie Cup game that caused his injury had very nearly taken his life. "It was just another scrum, then three cracking noises - pop, pop, pop," Kitshoff told Rapport newspaper.

Double World Cup winning prop forward Steven Kitshoff has been forced to retire from rugby after a serious neck injury, his club Stormers announced on Tuesday.