CAPE TOWN :Veteran utility forward Deon Fourie has been given a one-year contract extension with the Stormers, despite an injury that has brought a premature end to his season, the South African franchise announced on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old loose forward had ankle surgery earlier this month after getting injured in the United Rugby Championship clash against Connacht in Cape Town on April 19 and will not play again in this campaign but has been retained for the next.
“Deon is a true warrior and still has a significant contribution to make for us next season, both on the field and in terms of his leadership,” said Stormers coach John Dobson in a statement.
“He is a remarkable player who has done so much for this team over the years and we know that he will give all he has in characteristic fashion when he returns next season,” he added.
Fourie was a makeshift hooker for South Africa in the 2023 World Cup final, where they edged New Zealand in Paris, and had recently been called up for a Springbok training camp ahead of the June internationals despite also sustaining a major knee injury last campaign.
Fourie was the oldest debutant in South Africa’s history when he earned a first cap in 2022, three months shy of his 36th birthday.
He has bounced between the front and back of the scrum in his career, which took in seven years playing club rugby in France before returning to Cape Town in 2021 and winning belated Springbok selection and folk hero status.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
